What Might Have Been
by dantesdarkqueen
Summary: A single event can change the course of the future. If a tiny confession had been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.
1. The Smallest Comment

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor: **I have way too many chaptered fics already in progress, I know. Now that we have this understanding, I shall continue. (_ahem_) Since playing Crisis Core, I have been wondering if somehow there was a way to have kept Seph from ever going to Nibelheim in the first place. I have come up with several ways, most notably somebody telling him Lucrecia was his mother rather than Jenova, or him getting sent elsewhere. Zack could have handled Nibelheim by himself, after all; I think Shinra only sent Sephiroth to Cloud's hometown as a show of muscle, an example of what kind of power Shinra controlled. A silent warning, if you will. How might things have gone if Seph never learned about Jenova, and she never took over his body? Seeds of a fic, right there. But wait, it doesn't stop there! I've written up a discussion between Sephiroth and Azrael set when the younger silver-hair is about 13, in which Sephiroth points out that Az's life might not be as rosy as he believes if his father was alive and well. I'm still see-sawing on whether I'll post that or not, but out of that humble oneshot has grown an idea. What might have happened if Akalara told Seph how she felt before he left? What repercussions would that have for the entire planet, as well as their friends? So, here we are. This AU fic will tie in with a lot of my previous fics, namely "Return of the Green Sludge" and "Evidence of Sephiroth's Humanity". I was thinking of making this a collaboration fic, with me covering Seph and Akalara, Amazon running Zack and Kandi, and Mystic revealing the goings-on with Shinra (namely Tseng and Reno and Lily), and all three of us tag-teaming Hojo and the army, but they've also got a lot of stuff to do, so I dunno... We'll see. (Whatcha think, ladies?) For now, it's just lil' ol' me.

Note: This first chapter starts out an hour or two after the memory sequence in the first chapter of "A Mother's Love".

The Smallest Comment...

Her fingers traced down his side, eliciting the merest shiver from the sculpted form laying opposite her. She smiled, lowering her hand to leisurely circle his navel. The granite muscles trembled at the gentle touch, and his hand reached down to grasp her wrist.

"I didn't know you were ticklish, Seph."

"Neither did I, actually." Sephiroth guided her hand away from the overly-sensitive areas, tangling his long digits with hers. "You know, you're the only one I allow to touch me like this, Ak."

"Really?" Cranberry eyes traveled down the length of his body, then returned to his face. "Why is that?"

His free hand rose to stroke her cheek and temple, a gesture so at-odds with the cold, emotionless mannerisms revealed to the public. "I don't know. But..." Glowing peridot eyes fell to their twined fingers, shying away from his lover's countenance. "I feel safe with you," he confessed quietly.

Akalara turned her head slightly, pressing a warm kiss to his palm. "I couldn't hurt you, Seph. Even if I wanted to, I never could."

His fingers squeezed hers gently, his great strength held in check, as always. "It's more than that. I feel..." He brushed errant strands of dark emerald hair away from her eyes, tucking them behind her ears. "Comfortable, I think. As if I don't have to be the general of ShinRa's army, or the Great Sephiroth everyone admires and fears. When I'm alone with you like this, I'm only Sephiroth. A man, like any other."

Akalara bent her head forward, pressing her forehead to his. "I prefer you this way. This is the real you, not the great hero the public sees. I don't care about the hero. It's the man that I love."

Sephiroth inhaled sharply and Akalara's heart froze in its tracks, as the unexpected words filled the air between them. "You...love me?" the silver-haired man breathed, peridot eyes wide.

Her entire body emulating a boiled lobster, Akalara rolled away from him, hiding behind her arms. Damn her loose lips, she hadn't meant to tell him! Now he'd think she was just another crazy fan and throw her out, replace her with some other woman. And she'd be left alone, just as before. She tensed, waiting for his rejection.

But it never came.

Strong hands turned her onto her back and carefully pried her arms away. Akalara responded by rolling her head to the side, not wanting to witness the anger, the disappointment, she knew would be on her lover's face.

"Look at me, Ak."

Apprehensively, she turned to him, fighting the urge to cry. The Turk trainee couldn't look at his face; instead, her cranberry eyes focused on the left side of his chest, and the organ beating therein.

"Are you being truthful?" he inquired, just above a whisper. "Do you honestly love me?"

The green-haired teenager nodded, still watching Sephiroth's left pec.

"Say it. If you mean it, say it again," his black-velvet voice commanded.

Akalara swallowed hard, then opened her mouth, only to close it when firm fingers forced her chin upward.

"Look at me," he demanded softly.

Cranberry met peridot, and she forced herself to ignore the face that held those unchanging eyes. She could say it to his eyes, but not to his face.

"Say it," he urged.

The teen ignored the ear-splitting pounding of her heart, and forced out three simple words.

"I love you."

Her gaze dropped a moment later, and she braced herself for the explosion. Surely he'd toss her away now, thinking her exactly like all those other women lusting after him on a daily basis. Just another crazed fangirl who had managed to get luckier than the rest. Her life at ShinRa would continue, but he would no longer be a part of it. And it was her own damn fault that her heart was about to be broken.

She let out a startled gasp when she realized Sephiroth's arms were tight around her, and his lips were feverish on her own. The teen's arms slipped between them after a very responsive moment and pushed, providing just enough leverage to separate her from his passionate assault. "You're...not mad?" she panted, watching him with no small amount of shock.

His face was, for once, open and earnest. So honest it made her chest hurt. "Far from it. I never dared hope you felt that way, the way I do."

If Akalara thought her heart was breaking the speed limit before, now it shattered the sound barrier. "What do you mean?" she whispered hoarsely.

Sephiroth rolled onto his back, pulling her atop him and pillowing his head on one folded arm. The other hand began tracing her features, stroking through her mussed hair. "I've...been doing a lot of thinking lately. Zack lectured me a few days ago, and managed to beat some things into my head."

Akalara watched his face now, not daring to hope. Hardly able to breathe...

"Turns out, he was right about how you feel about me." Sephiroth trailed his thumb over her lips, eyes intent on her face. "I'm...not a very open man, Ak. I don't like letting people get close to me. Even with Zack and Kandi, even with you, there are some things I'm not willing to reveal. Or even admit to myself."

Akalara merely listened, realizing that he needed to talk before he could tell. He was like that sometimes.

"I kept telling myself that you were no more than an infatuation, that I'd tire of you eventually and send you away. I told myself this was a temporary arrangement, and you were just another conquest, no more. And a few months ago, I would have believed myself.

"But no longer."

The hand behind his head came forward to claim one of the slim hands resting on his chest, knotting their fingers together once more. "My heart refuses to obey me where you are concerned. Whenever I see you, it screams that you are mine and mine alone. That I am the only man with the right to hold you. To touch you, to _know _you. Once I attributed such feelings to another, but what I felt for her pales in comparison to this."

The teen goggled at him, pulse hammering at the base of her throat. He felt... More than Tareyna? His first, long-dead love?

"I've denied it, ignored it, and repeatedly told myself I was a fool. But recently, I've finally come to accept it. And now I freely admit it." Sephiroth's roaming hand came to rest on her cheek, the soft caress of a lover. "I am completely and totally in love with you, Akalara. If nothing else I know, and I think I've known it from the beginning, you are the only one for me."

In all the great romances, this was where the woman always broke down amongst tears and fervent declarations of everlasting love and devotion, perhaps interspersed by or followed with kisses and a sweet embrace, if not full-out sex. Akalara, however, was caught between a multitude of responses. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and never, ever stop kissing him. Instead, she found herself frozen, devoid of words.

"Say something," Sephiroth urged, peridot eyes pleading. Almost desperate. "Ak?"

Slowly awareness dawned. Her face was pressed into the side of his neck, and her arms were tingling from the weight of his upper body atop them. His strong limbs were secure around her, holding her close while she wept.

"Akalara?" he repeated. "What-"

"I never dreamed you'd accept me if I told you," she confessed through her tears. "You don't like any of your fangirls, and I thought..."

"You're nothing like those stupid little adolescent teeny-boppers," he told her lowly. "You're real, you're smart, and you _know._ You understand. Most of them couldn't care less about me, so long as they get a single night with my body."

The green-haired trainee nuzzled his neck, so happy for once in her life. "You're so much more than a piece of meat. And if you're the only man with the right to touch me, then I'm the only woman with the right to touch _you_."

"Undeniably," Sephiroth agreed. He lifted her head and laid a heated kiss against her lips. "I'm going to refuse the Nibelheim mission."

She stared at him in shock. "What? But I thought you had to go on this one whether you liked it or not!"

"Zack can handle it by himself. I was just getting sent along so ShinRa could show me off. I hate being paraded around like a prize chocobo. Besides," he continued, kissing her again, "you're more important than a malfunctioning reactor in a tiny village on the western continent."

"I'm glad you think so, Seph," she snickered, allowing him to roll atop her and pin her to the bed.

"I don't think." He kissed her once more, sliding comfortably between her open thighs. "I _know._"


	2. OffDuty

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea. Dr. Quorra is mine, too; she's the doctor who ran the tests on Sgt. Reyna in the Daddykins chapter of "Evidence of Sephiroth's Humanity", which means she's the head of the ShinRa medical facility right now.

**Queen's Quornor:** Still waiting for a definitive reply from Amazon and Mystic, but so far they seem willing. I'm going to write Zack for this chapter, and if Amazon is willing, she'll take him from this point on (again, maybe). Could Seph honestly be a romantic? Well, I'm pretty sure he'd be a possessive lover, given his personality, but not to the point of 'stalker/you-interact-with-her-I-kill-you'. Probably just 'she's mine; look but don't touch'. And he'd be protective, too; I mean, if he's that way about his friends in-canon (Angeal and Genesis and, to a certain extent, Zack), he'd be even moreso with his woman. Yes, _woman_. I haven't seen any real evidence that would convince me Sephiroth could possibly be gay or bi. Really vague circumstantial that could be interpreted as such (like with the CloZa and Valenwind pairings), but until Square comes right out and tells us 'hey, Seph's gay' I don't accept the argument. So until SE decides to tell us his sexuality, I'm assuming Seph's straight by default.

Off-Duty

"So you're really not coming, Seph?" Zack asked, looking up at his friend.

"Affirmative. I'm not going on the Nibelheim mission." Sephiroth stepped inside the elevator and watched as the black-haired man hit the button for the SOLDIER floor. "I want to spend some quality time with someone, and I can't do that if I'm off in the mountains somewhere on assignment."

"Let me guess. Akalara?" Zack asked, grinning.

Sephiroth nodded, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at their reflections on the floor. "We are exclusive now, Zack. You'll have to inform Kandi that there will be no more flings with me anymore. And Akalara is off-limits to you and Reno."

"Hey, it it means that you two lovebirds are together, I'm not complaining." Zack watched the flashing numbers above the doors, leaning against the wall casually. "So no more partner-swapping? No threesomes? No orgies?"

"What part of 'exclusive' did you not understand?" Peridot eyes bored into Zack's violet ones. "We're not above joining in on the Friday night and weekend festivities, but she and I are the only ones allowed to touch each other now."

Zack held up his hands, patting the air in front of him. "Just making sure of what I'll be telling Kandi, Seph. You know she'll ask, just to feel out the new parameters."

The silver-haired man shrugged and stepped out as the elevator doors opened. "Just make it clear that Ak is mine and I am hers. That's all Kandi need know."

"You got it, Seph. So how's the Nibelheim mission going down? Is someone else going to loom over my shoulder?" the black-haired SOLDIER asked, trailing after the older man.

"You can handle whatever's terrorizing the community, Zack. And Cloud can help you out, if need be. This mission is a good chance for him to prove himself, both as a cadet and to himself. If he succeeds, it will provide a boost to his confidence." Sephiroth approached the mission board and logged in, scrolling through the options quickly. "My leave is technically not supposed to start until after the mission. But since I'm not going..." A few clicks later, and Sephiroth's name was off the 'Active Duty' personnel list. "Now all that's left to do is call in a few favors and have Reno fly us out to Wutai."

Zack cocked his head, watching his friend suspiciously. "How _did _you get off the assignment, anyway? I know you're the general and all, but you have superiors and rules to follow, too."

A short laugh escaped the silver-haired man's lips. "My superiors know about my past, remember? If I want to get away from active duty for awhile, all I have to do is go up to the President's office, look deranged, and tell him that if I have to go one more day without a break, I'll lose it. That tactic has yet to fail me."

"So you look crazy, and you and Ak get to go play in Wutai for a week." Zack shook his head slowly. "Why can't I get off duty that easily?"

"Because you had a perfectly normal childhood," Sephiroth replied dryly, logging out. "You clean up things in Nibelheim, and break the news to Kandi. I'll see you in a week."

"Have fun with your girlfriend, Seph," Zack called, walking towards the lounge.

Sephiroth merely chuckled.

\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Akalara let out a surprised squeal as she was swept off her feet and cradled against her love's chest. She stared up at Sephiroth with wide cranberry eyes, one hand gripping the nearest strap that crisscrossed his chest for security. "Seph, I can walk."

"Call me a romantic," he told her, smirking. "But since we're officially together now, I think I should carry you over the threshold of our room."

One evergreen brow arched, and Akalara's right arm snaked under his left armpit to hook onto his opposite shoulder. "I thought that was only for newlyweds."

"Are you truly complaining?" the silver-haired man asked, mounting the stairs.

"Hardly. But..." The Turk trainee twisted to look at the innkeeper and the two locals at the desk, all of whom were staring at them like goggle-eyed fish. "People are watching us."

"Let them stare. Let the whole Planet know that you are mine." Sephiroth carried her effortlessly up the stairs, the key to their room swinging from one finger. "I don't feel like hiding my love for you anymore."

That declaration won him a beaming smile, and a head of silky green hair nuzzling into the crook of his neck. "Nor do I, Seph. As long as you're with me, I'm not afraid."

The silver-haired man smiled, and began looking for their room. Unlike most inns throughout the world, theis one did not have numbered doors. Instead, patrons could identify the room they had paid for by matching the icon on their key with the icon on the door's lock. This meant that Sephiroth was looking for a lock with a sakura tree on it.

He found it at the end of the hall, sealing the very last door on the right. Akalara had to wrap both arms around his neck while he used both hands to get the door open, then relaxed when he was supporting her once more. Sephiroth carried her inside and gaver her a hot kiss as he set her back on her feet.

"I'll be right back with the bags," he told her once the kiss broke. "Then we'll go do something."

"What is there to do?" the teen asked, glancing out the circular window. The sun was setting, painting the sky in lurid shades of crimson and violet fire. "Apart from the obvious, I mean."

Sephiroth smirked. "Did you bring your swimsuit, like I asked you to?"

Akalara nodded, cranberry eyes filled with confusion.

"Then you'll find out when I return."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Zack glared at his midsection in the mirror, wracking his brain for an explanation. For some reason, he had been waking up feeling like absolute crap lately. He was always so tired these days, despite getting the regular eight hours each weeknight, and puking his guts up at night and after meals. His mind was constantly flying from one emotion to another; in less than one minute, he could go from happy to enraged to depressed before getting crazy-happy a split-second later. And he had no idea _why._

Even stranger was the fact that his chest was extremely sensitive to the touch, if not downright sore. His uniform top rubbed his nipples raw, or so it felt, even worse than when he had been under the effects of the Green Sludge. He had taken to rubbing petroleum jelly over them in the hopes of gaining some relief, but that meant he had to suffer first through actually touching them. And that, for whatever reason, hurt like a bitch.

Weirdest of all, his six-pack seemed to be disappearing. Not literally; when compared to what they had looked like a few days ago, they just looked a little less defined. And that made no sense, what with the amount of exercize he got every day. None of his other muscles were affected, only his abs. He hadn't even noticed it until he came across a bunch of nude photos of him and Kandi in his rucksack earlier.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Zackary Fair?" he demanded of his shirtless reflection. "What's going on?"

Sensitive stomach, daily nausea, unexplainable fatigue, sore nipples, fading abs, severe mood swings...

What in Gaia's name was _happening_ to him?

The SOLDIER sighed and reached for his phone. If he was sick, there was no way he could go on the Nibelheim mission. A bug strong enough to affect a First Class beyond a single day would land regular infantrymen and cadets in the Medical Facility; he didn't want to risk getting Cloud or the others sick.

Hitting a button on his phone, he steeled himself for an emergency appointment with Dr. Quorra.


	3. Not Happening Happens

**Queen's Quornor: **Amazon has already agreed to help me out, so here's her first chapter for Zack and Kandi. And also, good news! There is a fourth collaborationist working on this fic: teh maniac will be writing from someone else's perspective, somebody a little unexpected. His chapters will be posted as soon as he gets them to me, and when they fall in with the overall plot. Oh, and there's a minor change in time here; in "Return of the Green Sludge" I stated that Zack left for Nibelheim two weeks after the first part of the fic. For this AU, it's five weeks after that fic takes place. The only change I've made to this chapter has been, well, to return Dr. Quorra to her original gender. I didn't make it clear in "Evidence", I guess, but she's a woman. The guy who read off the test results to Zack, Seph, Reno, and Reyna was a lesser doctor under her command. But that's the only thing I've done to this chapter; the rest is all Amazon's! Well, the title is mine, but the chapter itself is all her work!

_**A/N: I now have a shrine to dantesdarkqueen for starting this fic.**_

_**Disclaimer: OC's belong to their respective creators, canon hotties belong to the Squares and the Internet belongs to Al Gore.**_

Not Happening Happens

Zack let out an exasperated breath as he waited in the cold, sterile room for Dr. Quorra to return with his test results. After the standard blood pressure, temperature, blood sample, urine sample, hair sample, mother's maiden name and the last five years of tax returns had been taken, Zack had nothing to do but wait. And throw up. He was becoming increasingly concerned that there was something seriously wrong with him. The Mako in his system was supposed to make it nearly impossible for him to get sick, and yet, here he was, nibbling on saltines that the nurse had brought him. Of course, there had been that one time that Seph had even been sick. Perhaps, despite all their enhancements, they were human after all.

Good thing, because he had started to worry. Especially about Genesis. That guy was some kind of freaky.

Zack lay back on the examination bed and groaned, feeling like complete shit. The last time he remembered being this sick was when he was a kid in Gongaga. His mother had make him homemade chocobo noodle soup and kept the fridge stocked with 6up and Pell-o gelatin cups. Oh, he wished he had some chocobo noodle soup right now. That would make him feel so much better.

At the soft knock at the door, Zack sat up and gave the doctor a grin. "What's up, Doc?" he asked sheepishly. "Figure out what's wrong with me?"

Dr. Quorra shook her head and sat on the rolling stool facing Zack. "Zackary, you are in perfect health," she said. "Everything checks out on your test results perfectly. Your Mako levels are normal and your blood pressure is fine. You seem to have an increased amount of estrogen than a normal man of your age, but nothing too alarming."

"Estrogen?" Zack asked in question. "You mean, like chick DNA?"

Dr. Quorra chuckled. "Estrogen is the female hormone, Zackary," she explained. "Each human being has both estrogen and testosterone. Males have higher testosterone levels and females have higher estrogen levels. Your estrogen levels have spiked to resemble that of a young girl approaching puberty."

"How is that not something to be alarmed with?" Zack asked, fighting back tears. Oh, this fucking _sucked_! SOLDIERS didn't cry and here he was about to pour out a stream of tears.

The doctor arched an eyebrow at his reaction. "I suppose that explains the mood swings you've been having," she said, patting his knee. "Well, I have one more test we can run, just to see if everything is working inside. We can run an MRI on you, just to be safe."

Zack nodded and took the tissue the doctor handed him. "Okay, fine," he sniffed. "I just want to figure out what's wrong so we can fix it. This sucks."

Dr. Quorra patted him and handed him a paper gown. "Change into this and we'll start the test shortly."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Zack closed his eyes and tried to remain perfectly still as his body was moved inside the MRI machine. He knew the doctor was outside, monitoring his vitals and noting what the test was revealing.

"How are we doing, Zackary?" Dr. Quorra asked over the microphone.

Zack snorted. "I'm sure you're just peachy, Doc," he said. "I'm feeling a little cramped."

Though he couldn't see her, he knew the doctor was laughing. "Shouldn't be too much longer," she said. "Just try to relax."

"Okay," Zack said, taking a deep breath and thinking about wide, open places.

The machine hummed and clicked as Zack lay inside it. Soon, he felt himself moving again, exiting the machine as it shut down. He opened his eyes and saw Dr. Quorra, looking rather pale, coming into the room.

"What's the verdict, Doc?" he asked. "Figure out what's wrong with me?"

"I think we have," she said, motioning a nurse over. She murmured something to her, causing her to gasp and look over at Zack before nodding and running off.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked, getting up and going to the doctor.

"N-nothing to be concerned with...right now," the doctor told him. "I just want to make sure the results are accurate."

Zack was already concerned. He'd been concerned since he started puking his guts up all the time. "Tell me what's wrong with me?" he snarled, grabbing Dr. Quorra by the lab coat. "What have I got?"

Dr. Quorra's face paled further. "Something you definitely shouldn't have," she answered, releasing herself from the SOLDIER's grasp. "Let's get back to the exam room and await the results in there."

Zack numbly followed the doctor back down the hall, a million different possibilities running through his mind. Could the Mako, after all these years, done something irreversibly negative to him? Was it affecting him in such an adverse way that he would soon be one of the monsters he had seen in some of the Mako reactors in Midgar? Taking a deep breath, Zack said a silent prayer to Odin as he continued following the doctor.

Once in the exam room, the doctor gave Zack some privacy to get redressed while he waited for the results. Laying back against the papery pillow of the table, Zack tried to relax. He was probably jumping to conclusions. He wasn't going to turn into a monster. No, that only happened to poor saps Hojo fucked with. What he had was something that could be treated; something that would go away in a matter of days with a nice regimen of antibiotics and chocobo noodle soup.

Maybe Kandi would make him some. He'd call his mom and get the recipe and have the red-streaked woman baby him until he got better. Zack grinned, instantly feeling better at the prospect.

The soft knock alerted him of the doctor's presense and the SOLDIER sat up, looking at her expectantly. Zack did not like the look on her face. "What is it?" Zack asked hoarsely.

Dr. Quorra looked over at him in shock. She held up the MRI scans and examined them. "Zackary," she said, clearing her throat when she choked a bit. "I have two different MRI scans of you. One we just took and one is from your physical six months ago. I want you to take a look at them and tell me what you see."

"Uh, I'm not a doctor," Zack protested as Dr. Quorra put them up on the light up board. "I don't know what I'm looking at."

"Just give it a shot," Dr. Quorra said.

Zack looked at the scans, eyeing them both. They looked pretty much identical, except...the area around his lower stomach. In one of the pictures, he could see the normal organs and such, but in the other, there was something else. Realization dawned on him and his face paled. "A tumor," he whispered, pointing to the abnormality. "I have a tumor?"

Dr. Quorra shook her head. "That's not a tumor, Zackary," she said.

"Oh, thank Odin!" Zack exclaimed in relief. "For a minute there, I thought I had cancer. Well, then, what is it?"

"It's a uterus, Zackary," Dr. Quorra said. "And inside that uterus is a placenta and a fetus."

"A wha'?" Zack asked. "Doc, I'm a dude. I don't have a uterus."

"I assure you, you have a uterus."

"Look, I'm a guy," Zack stated with a laugh. "Always have been, always will be. I've never been a chick in my...oh. Oh shit. OH SHIT!"

Dr. Quorra looked at her patient in concern. "Zackary, are you all right?" she asked.

Zack glared at her. "Of course I'm not all right!" he exclaimed. "I have a uterus! And...and a fetus. I'm pregnant?"

"Yes," Dr. Quorra said. "As best as we can tell, since you wouldn't have had a missed period, you're about 5 weeks along."

Zack stood up. "How did this happen?" he asked.

"That's what I'd like to know," Dr. Quorra said. "I've never in all my years of practicing medicine seen this. You are a fully functional male and yet you have a healthy, active and currently occupied uterus."

Zack sat down again. "This can't be happening," he mumbled.

"Not to upset you further, but I wasn't aware that you were homosexual," Dr. Quorra stated.

Zack stood up. "I'm not gay!" he protested. "I'm as straight as they come!"

"Then how do you explain the pregnancy?"

Zack sat back down. "Oh boy."

"Do you know who the father is?" the doctor asked.

Zack laughed. "Oh, yeah, I know who she is," he said in disbelief. "This has got to be a joke, right?"

"Zackary, I assure you this is no joke,"

Zack stood up again. "You sure?" he asked, blinking back tears. "'Cause this is just really, really fucked up."

Dr. Quorra sat on her stool. "Did you just say the father was a woman?" she asked in awe. Zack nodded. "How can that be?"

"Ever hear of Hojo's Green Sludge?"

Dr. Quorra thought for a moment, then her eyes grew wide. "Oh my...are you telling me..."

"Switched genders, got fucked by my secretary, and the girl knocks me up!" Zack exclaimed, bursting into tears and sitting on the bed again. "This isn't happening. This cannot be happening."

Dr. Quorra reached up an patted Zack on the back. "Zackary, as...unconventional as this is, it is also a scientific breakthrough," she said reassuringly. "If this pregnancy of yours is successful, it may be another way for couples to have children who are unable to the traditional way."

"Good for them, but right now, I don't care!" Zack snarled. "I'm _pregnant_. Me. Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class. Pregnant!" His eyes widened and he jumped off the table. "Whoa, okay, so how is this kid coming out of me, huh? There is no fucking way I'm squeezing it out my dick! No fucking _way_!"

"Don't be preposterous, Zackary," she reprimanded.

"This whole situation is preposterous and I think I'm entitled!"

Dr. Quorra sighed. "Caesarean," she said. "We'll cut you open and deliver the child that way."

Had Zack been anyone else, he would have fainted. As it was, he was having trouble keeping consciousness. "What?" he asked in a whisper. "C-cut me open?"

"Yes, it's a relatively simple procedure with a high success rate."

"Oh shit."

Zack sat back down and buried his face in his hands. Dr. Quorra stood and patted his back again. "Would you like me to call someone in for you?" she asked. "You probably could use the comfort right now. Perhaps the father of the child?"

Zack nodded and wiped his eyes. "Yeah," he said. "Might as well bring her in. She'll believe it better coming from you, Doc."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kandi was in a panic. It was late in the evening and she had received a call from the emergency room's doctor on call about Zack. Visions of him cut up and bloodied, battered and torn and dying flashed through her head. Had he been attacked? In a car accident? Was he going to make it, damn it?

She rushed toward the reception area, tripping over her own feet in her hurry. The receptionist smiled kindly.

"May I help yo-"

"Where's Zack?" Kandi nearly shrieked. "Is he okay? Is he conscious? Can I see him? Answer me, damn it!"

"Miss, please," the receptionist said. "Who are you looking for?"

"Zack Fair!" the red-streaked woman exclaimed. "Where is he?"

The receptionist nodded. "One moment," she said, picking up the phone and gesturing to a chair. "Have a seat."

Kandi stepped back and paced around the room, refusing the seat. Her fingers instantly found her mouth and her nails found the floor as she spit them out. She wanted to cry, she was so scared. What had happened to Zack to warrant a trip to the emergency room? He had been fine earlier. A little nauseous, but other than that, just the same Zack she knew.

She didn't have to wait too long before a pleasant looking woman arrived. "Kandi?" she asked gently.

The red-streaked woman's head shot up at the sound of her name. "Yes?" she exclaimed, rushing to her. "Where is Zack? Is he okay?"

The doctor nodded, leading her back into the exam rooms. "He's fine," she said. "I'm Dr. Quorra."

"What happened?" she asked, ignoring her completely. "Was he in an accident?"

The doctor opened a door and gestured her inside. Kandi nearly cried in relief as she rushed into Zack's arms, wrapping her own around him. She kissed his cheek tenderly as she held him. Stepping back slightly, she looked him over. "You look okay," she observed. "What happened? Why did I get called down here? I thought you were dying!"

Zack shook his head and wiped the seemingly endless tears coming from his eyes away. "Nope, not dying," he answered. "You just needed to be here since this involves you, too."

"You may want to sit down, Kandi," Dr. Quorra advised.

Kandi latched on to Zack and shook her head. "What's going on?" she asked, looking from doctor to SOLDIER. "Zack, are you all right?"

"Perfectly healthy," he answered. "Both of us are."

She blinked. "Good, glad to hear it," she said. "You and the doctor are fine. Great. Why am I here and you aren't bleeding or experiencing a seizure?"

"No, not me and the doctor."

"Okay, you and me, we're fine," she hissed, exasperated. "You're still not bleeding and I'm standing in a hospital exam room in my pajamas."

"No, not me and you," Zack said.

"Would you spit it out already?" Kandi asked. "You and who, Zack?"

"Me and the baby."

Kandi blinked. "What baby?" she asked. She grabbed his arm. "Did you save a baby from dying? Is that why you're here? That's great! I'm sure the mother is thrilled! Why the fuck am I here? Why the fuck did you scare me to death making me think you were dying? What the fuck is going on?"

"I'm pregnant," Zack said.

Kandi looked at him and slugged him in the arm. "You bring me down here for some stupid, godsdamned joke?" she exclaimed, eyes shining with tears. "That is mean, Zack! I thought you were hurt!"

"It's not a joke," Dr. Quorra said. "Zackary is pregnant. When you two utilized Professor Hojo's Green Sludge, he obtained all the reproductive organs of a female. During the time of your copulation, Zackary was impregnated. Most of the female organs disappeared, except for the one that was and still is being used: his uterus."

Kandi let out a disbelieving laugh. "How much is he paying you to do this, Dr. Quorra?" she asked with a grin. "Good ol' Zack. Big jokester."

Dr. Quorra showed her the MRI scans. "Kandi," she said gently. "I'd state my career on this. Zackary is pregnant. Here is the uterus and there is your baby."

Her face paled. "_Our_ baby?" she whispered, looking back at Zack. "Oh my gods..."

Zack gave her a sly grin. "Yep," he told her. "You're the father."

Kandi wasn't Zack. And she wasn't anyone else.

She fainted.

_**A/N: (snickers) This is fun.**_


	4. Defiant Resolve

**Queen's Quornor: **And here is the first chapter from teh maniac. He will be writing from...somebody else's POV, as stated in the last chapter. Who that somebody else is, you'll have to read further to find out. The only thing I've done to this chapter is to proofread it, add a chapter name, and add dividers between segments. The rest you can thank Maniac for.

**Hello Ladies, gentlemen, and misc. I am t3h maniac and when I'm not running my mouth over the AN segment, I'm actually writing the fics. So this is part of my contribution to the collaboration in my own trademark psychotic manner. Take it away, Myself.**

**Canon characters belong to Square Enix and any OC's used by me belong to their respective owners. Don't sue; I have a specially-trained army of law-ninjas ready to stealth counter-sue at any moment.**

**Right.**

Defiant Resolve

"What do you mean no one from SOLDIER's coming now?" Mr Lockhart asked, trying to keep his voice as low and calm as possible

"I'm sorry, sir, but the mission has been cancelled. Both of the supervising members who were originally in charge have been called off duty due to personal and health issues," the voice at the end of the phone answered.

"But it's Shinra's reactor that is malfunctioning! Surely some people can be spared. Someone who knows how the reactor works!"

"The problem is that all our Mako reactor technicians have been called to build the reactor in the Corel mountain range to help power the new Golden Saucer."

"We here at the Shinra Electrical Company would like to apologize for any inconvenience. When there is a SOLDIER ready for deployment to the area we will notify you." All he heard from then on was a dial tone.

Mr Lockhart looked up towards the intimidating peaks of the Nibel range. Things sure had changed a lot since the reactor was built over 20 years ago. It was the first of its kind, energy from nowhere. Well, that's what the representative from the company said. In truth, it didn't exactly come from 'nowhere'. It drained it from the mountains themselves. At one point the slopes were all green with trees for at least halfway up and then any higher you would have hit the snow line.

Now the range was drastically different. The stuff of nightmares. Cold granite was all that was left, not a single plant could be found on a normal hike. Even the materia fountain was slowly drying up, and legends always said that they would last as long as the planet.

Monsters quickly found homes in the peaks. The Nibel wolves were savage and would occasionally stroll the plains in packs, hunting for unprotected travelers. Sometimes they would even attack large groups of people if there was enough of them.

The strange bugs stayed in the caves and hardly ever came down, but they made hiking a nightmare. They came in swarms, and multiplied like crazy near the reactor outlet.

Dragons were the biggest threat to anyone in the mountains. These were not the proud creatures that myths spoke of, who were intelligent to understand human thought and would occasionally try and hold a kingdom to ransom in exchange for the odd virgin to snack on. These dragons were as animalistic as everything else that lived there, overgrown lizards with claws that could cut through steel and flames as hot as any furnace.

"Dad?" He quickly turned to look up the stairs, at his daughter. Tifa Lockhart must have overheard the conversation.

"Yes, precious?"

"I'm 16. You can stop with all the embarrassing nicknames."

"It wouldn't be the same without them, though."

"Yeah whatever. So when do I get to lead the SOLDIER guys around?"

"I'm afraid they're not coming."

"What?"

"I know, I know. The monster infestation is only going to get worse and hikes will become impossible."

"Huh…oh yeah. The hikes…" Tifa said dejectedly.

"Tifa? Is there something you're not telling me?" her father asked, noticing the change in tone when she mentioned hikes through the mountain.

"No. I'm fine, Dad," she said defensively.

"Something happen at school? Anyone picking on you?"

"No."

"Are you sure…"

"I said I'm fine!" Tifa shouted, stomping her right foot, almost breaking one of the floor boards before quickly looking ashamed.

"All right, no need to snap."

"Sorry, Dad."

Tifa turned on one heel, entering her bedroom and just collapsing on the bed. _Two years, _she thought to herself. _Two years since that night…_

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_"I'm not going there for a job. I'm gonna be in SOLDIER!" Cloud said, climbing up on top of the well._

"_Really?" Tifa asked._

"_Yeah. I'll be this big hero."_

"_So…"_

"_Tifa?"_

"_Cloud, could you make me a promise?"_

"_What sort of promise?" he asked, taken aback. Cloud hadn't expected it to go this far._

"_I always wanted a knight in shining armor to come rescue me when I'm in trouble. I want to experience that at least once."_

"_So you want me to come save you?"_

"_Whenever I really need it, promise me you'll be there to help me out."_

"_Okay Tifa, I promise."_

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The memories of that night had been embedded in her mind. She wasn't that close to him; all the other kids she hung out with used to make fun of him, her dad hated Cloud for some reason, but he always seemed to want to be noticed. To be a part of something. It was why she agreed to meet him that night.

Since then nothing. Not a letter, not a bit in the news mentioning him... Nothing at all.

_Enough is enough. If I'm ever going to find out what happened to him, I'm going to have to find out for myself. _Steadying her resolve she quickly dove into her wardrobe, pulling out her travelling clothes. A white tank top, a black leather miniskirt (not _the _most practical thing in the world, but it didn't restrict leg movement, unlike the too-tight jeans she left hanging up), and a leather jacket to go over top. All that was needed was a hat and she'd look like a cowgirl. Especially with her leather gloves, but those were purely for self-defense.

Eighteen months ago a man named Zangan had arrived in Nibelheim. He was a world-famous martial arts tutor, and all the boys who hadn't left for Midgar signed up for the course. Most of them dropped out with nothing but bruised egos after the first day of basic fitness training. She was the only girl who had shown any interest in joining. Her father's refusal to let her only motivated Tifa more. She snuck out occasionally to get to the sessions and quickly found herself making the most progress out of the entire class.

"_I'm not going to lie to you, Lockhart. You are definitely something else. You have potential…"_

"_Thank you, sensei."_

"_So much so that I'm offering you a special class."_

"_Y- You are?"_

"_Yes. The techniques I've taught the class so far are only the basics of any martial art. They all have similar underlying principles, except for Tai-Kwan-do, but that's an over-rated style if I ever saw one. Useless in a fight, mainly flashy spins. But I digress. Tifa, I believe that you can learn the actual techniques that I know myself. There are very few people who can learn even the basics of this style of mixed-martial arts."_

"_Wow… I'm honored. When do I start?"_

"_Whenever you're ready."_

That was little over a year ago. She liked to think that the training had matured her a bit, even though she was still a teenager underneath the gi. She still hadn't told her dad about the private lessons and had no intentions to; they were her little secret. Her own defiance. Just like leaving a note on the bed and jumping out of her bedroom window to the street below.

Which she was doing.

_Cloud, I hope you're okay. 'Cause if you're not, well… I may just have to beat some sense into you, _she thought, the traces of a smile gracing her features.

\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

**Phew that took quite a long time to write. Hope you people out there like this.**


	5. Houston, We Have a Problem

**Queen's Quornor: **I might post two chapters today, Amazon's and my own. Not entirely sure. If not, look for it tommorow. I would have posted mine sooner, but I was too busy sacrificing my vocal cords to roller coasters at King's Dominion this weekend. I swear, neither drugs nor alcohol could ever compare to a coaster-induced high-speed adrenaline rush! I spent all of Saturday drunk on adrenaline, as high as a kite. And I think I'm still under the effects, partially. So while I'm coming down off the last effects of the rush, here's Amazon's newest chapter.

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_**A/N: This fic is really starting to help my writer's block. I've had a sick Spawn for the past week, so nothing has been coming out. This is helping.**_

_**Disclaimer: OC's belong to their respective creators, canon hotties to the Square's . I own nothing.**_

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Houston, We Have a Problem...

Zack and Kandi stumbled their way into his quarters, still not sure how they had managed to find their way from the emergency room. They were both running on auto pilot; both wondering how in the hell that one night of switched gender fun had turned into something out of a late night, low budget, sci-fi flick. The only thing that would make this even weirder was if one of them sprouted insect wings and antennae.

No. This was still weirder.

They plopped down on Zack's sofa simultaneously. Zack leaned his head back and rested it on the back of the sofa, closing his eyes and resting his arms on his stomach. Kandi leaned forward and buried her head in her hands, her fingers pulling mercilessly at her hair.

"This is..."

"What are we..."

They both spoke at the same time and cast sheepish glances at each other.

"Ladies first," Kandi smirked.

"Ha fucking ha," Zack grumbled, tossing his arm around her and pulling her into his side. "Just because I'm...pregnant doesn't mean I'm any less of a man."

She snickered. "Nope," she agreed, grabbing at his crotch playfully. "You're still packin'." She leaned against his shoulder and suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh fuck! The baby's not gonna come out of _that_, is it?"

Zack shook his head. "Dr. Quorra said they could deliver it caesarean, which freaks me out just as bad as that," he told her. "And that's even if it comes to that. There's a good chance it won't last that long, you know."

"What do you mean?" Kandi asked looking up at him.

"Well, look at the facts," he said softly. "I'm a guy. A guy's body isn't designed to carry a baby. It could reject the pregnancy and that'll be that."

Kandi swallowed hard. He was talking about a miscarriage. "Is...that what you want?" she whispered.

Zack thought for a moment, unconsciously playing with her hair, something he always did when they were like this. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I mean, this isn't even supposed to be happening. It's a really ridiculous freak accident that it did."

Kandi nodded. "Yeah, it is," she replied. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, I'm definitely not going on the Nibelheim mission now," he said. He grinned. "Not that I really wanted to anyway. Seph gets out of going on reasons of insanity. I get out because of morning sickness."

"Yeah, Dr. Quorra already called Lazard and told him about your 'unexplained illness'," she added, her voice turning sarcastic. "We can't risk the scientific breakthrough." She sat bolt upright and turned to him. "Oh my gods, Hojo."

"Hojo?" he asked.

"Yeah, when he finds out about this, he's going to...he'll...oh gods, Zack!" she cried. "He'll make you and the baby his own personal pincushions! Do you know how many experiments he'll perform on you?"

Zack paled and his hand instinctively went to his stomach, covering it protectively. "He can't find out," he stated firmly. He looked over at her and grasped her hand in his. "Look, I don't know how you feel about this and I know this is one of the most fucked up situations I've ever heard of; but I'm still this baby's father...mother...whatever. The point is, this is still my kid and I'll protect it from that bastard and any experiments he wants to perform on it or me. Fuck him. He's not touching this kid."

Kandi nodded and placed her hand on his face. "Hojo will have to go through both of us," she said. "That's my kid, too, you know. And you're my best friend. There's no way in hell I'm letting Hojo get his greasy hands on either one of you."

Zack grinned and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Okay," he said, grasping both of her hands in his. "We're in this together then."

"Right," she said. She arched an eyebrow at him. "Oh shit, is this the part where I'm supposed to propose to you? I've never knocked anyone up before. Is that proper protocal?"

Zack threw his head back and laughed. "Nah, Babe," he said, pressing his forehead against hers in their typical display of affection. "In spite of the growing fetus in my...uterus, I ain't a chick. I don't expect that."

"Okay," she said, exhaling in relief. She leaned back and grinned up at him. "But just so ya know...I would."

Zack shook his head. "Nah, 'cause you're not the marrying type, remember?" he told her, poking her nose. "White picket fence, 2.5 kids and a dog, not for you. Let alone getting you in the frilly white wedding dress."

"Yeah, but that was before I knew I was gonna be a mother...father...fuck, whatever I'm going to be," she said with a grin as Zack chuckled. "I wouldn't feed the kid to the dog now."

"Good to know," he said, pulling her to him again. "Hey, so...think you can do me a favor?"

"For the mother of my child, anything," she said, giggling as he gave her side a pinch.

"Call my mom and get her recipe for chocobo noodle soup," he said with a grin. "I'm still nauseaus as hell and that would make it better."

Kandi grinned as she looked up at him. "Should I tell her she's gonna be a grandmother?" she snickered.

"I don't think we need to tell anyone yet," he said. "Not until we figure out how to keep this away from Hojo. Just...tell her I have the flu."

Kandi snorted as she got up and grabbed his phone. "Male pregnancy is more believable than a SOLDIER with the flu, Zack," she said, looking down at his phone. "Hey, you've got a missed call."

Zack arched an eyebrow. "Huh. Who is it?" he asked.

Kandi looked over at him guility. "Uh...your girlfriend, Aerith."

"Shit," Zack grumbled, running his fingers over his face. "Well, there goes that relationship."

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_**A/N: How will Aerith react to the fact that her boyfriend was knocked up by his secretary? Hmmm...we'll just have to see.**_


	6. Oh Boy Facepalms

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor:** Back to Sephiroth and Akalara, blissfully on vacation in Wutai. There's a slight difference between this AU/the mostly-canon timeline it shoots away from, and the original canon: here, the war with Wutai has been over for several years as opposed to less than one. So it's actually safe for people affiliated with ShinRa to vacation there. For the most part, anyway...

Oh Boy...(Facepalms)

"You know, you _could _actually tell me where we're going, Seph," Akalara grumbled, cursing as she stumbled over a stone in the path.

Sephiroth chuckled and stopped until she regained her balance, holding her hand securely in his own. "I told you that it's a surprise, Ak. If I told you our destination, it would no longer be a surprise."

She frowned in his general direction. "Could I at least see where I'm going?"

"There are signs - " He adjusted the thick black cloth tied over her eyes " - that would give the destination away."

A long-suffering exhalation escaped her lips and she begrudgingly followed his lead when he set off once more. "The surprise will be just as spoiled if I break my leg or twist my ankle, Seph."

"If I see anything that could impede your progress, I shall lift you over it," he solemnly informed her, fully aware that she couldn't see his toothy grin. "You know, I think I like you in that blindfold, Ak. I shall have to make further use of it in the near future."

"Does that mean you'll be using the ropes again?" the green-haired trainee asked, unable to disguise the eagerness in her voice.

"Only if you brought the chains."

"Well, I do have this new riding crop..."

Sephiroth smirked evilly. "And I'm sure I can use some bamboo for a spreader bar."

"For you or for me?" Akalara inquired innocently.

"I'm going to have to punish you for that one, Ak."

"Are you so sure you'll be the one wielding the whip?"

He shook his head and laughed. Akalara was the only person alive that knew how much he enjoyed being the submissive in an S&M session. And that was only because she had shackled him while he was sleeping and proceeded to beat him into submission.

Big, bad, domineering example of alpha masculinity that he was, he still found the occasional session with Mistress Akalara unbelievably erotic and pleasurable. Especially since she was not above relinquishing her cat-o-ninetails and bastinado into the knowing care of Master Sephiroth.

He noticed a pair of thick, sturdy trees a good ways off the path, and a slow grin spread across his lips as a thought came to mind.

But that would have to wait until later. Right now, they had an appointment elsewhere. Before the end of the night, Sephiroth fully intended to acquaint his beloved with one of his favorite forms of relaxation.

For her part, Akalara just hoped the surprise was a good one. And where in Wutai could they possibly need swimsuits? There weren't any beaches around here, not out in the mountains. Both she and Sephiroth wore their swimsuits under their clothes, but the teenager couldn't imagine why he had been so insistent that she put hers on.

She cursed softly as yet another stone turned underfoot. But when she stumbled forward, the teen was surprised to feel something hard through her boots. Something other than the crunching, soft leaves and packed dirt of the path they had followed. She stamped her foot, and heard the slapping _thud _of her foot hitting stone.

"There are stairs here," Sephiroth said casually. "Mind your step."

Akalara scowled in the direction of his voice, but dutifully followed his leading hand up the steps. After about twenty-nine stairs (she had counted them off, for lack of anything better to do), Sephiroth came to a halt. "We're here," he announced.

"Where is 'here'?" the green-haired teen asked.

"Keep your eyes closed," her love warned. She felt his fingers tugging at the knot securing the blindfold, and obediantly lowered her eyelids as the thick fabric was drawn away.

"Now... Open them."

Cranberry orbs slid open, and Akalara gasped as their current surroundings filled her field of vision. Gentle light emanated from richly-colored paper lanterns, illuminating a group of wooden structures. Some of the buildings were open, but others were enclosed, their interiors hidden behind sliding door panels. Behind one cluster of smaller buildings lay a large pool ringed by rocks and plants. Round boulders erupted from the surface of the lake, immovable reminders of land in a world of curling steam rising into the night.

"Welcome to the Sleeping Dragon," Sephiroth murmured. "Wutai's famous hot springs." It's been open to locals for centuries, but only with the war's end have the owners begun catering to foreigners."

"They don't mind SOLDIER?" Akalara asked, watching one gentleman in an open-faced building receiving a massage from a beautiful young woman in a sleeveless white dress.

"These are business owners. They may resent us for our affiliation with ShinRa, but they do recognize the profit we can bring them." The silver-haired man nodded to the occupied building. "This is one of the most pleasant ways to relax and aleiviate stress I have ever experienced. I had occasion to spend a day here the last time I was in Wutai, and I assure you that you will be fully satisfied by the time we leave."

Akalara shrugged, but trailed after him when he led her to the registration counter. An attractive man with a scar over his nose bowed in greeting at their approach. "Welcome to the Sleeping Dragon. How may we serve you?" His lips tugged into a friendly smile. "We offer special accomodations for elite persons such as yourself, Sephiroth-sama."

"We are simply interested in the regular services, thank you." Sephiroth returned the smile and offered the slightest bow. "It is good to see you again, Takashi-san. How is Miku-chan these days?"

"Expecting our first child, Sephiroth-sama. She is in perfect health and spirit." The man turned his attention to the green-haired teenager standing at the general's side. "Might I inquire as to the name of the lovely lady accompanying you?"

Sephiroth snaked one arm around Akalara's waist and pulled her to him possessively. "This is Akalara Forrest, and she is as precious to me as Miku-chan is to you, Takashi-san."

"Then I extend my most gracious welcome to you as well, Akalara-chan. I am Takashi Yoshida, a former SOLDIER Second Class."

"Um, hi," Akalara said, unsure of what to say.

"So what services would you like, Sephiroth-sama?" Takashi inquired, getting back to business.

"Two massages and access to the springs, of course." Sephiroth handed him a sum of gil without prompt. "Akalara is new to this form of relaxation."

"I shall arrange for your massuers, and send a message when they are ready for you. Enjoy your stay, Sephiroth-sama, Akalara-chan."

As the couple walked towards the changing areas, the teenager leaned closer to her man. "How do you know him, Seph?"

"He used to be in my squad when I was a Second Class. During the first skirmishes of the war, Takashi got a lot of snide remarks from the others since he's Wutaian. He just gravitated towards me since I didn't tease him about his heritage."

"What was he doing in SOLDIER if he's Wutaian?"

"His mother moved to Midgar when he was two and his father died when his gun misfired. Apparently, she lost faith in her homeland when that happened and she had no one to turn to. Takashi joined the military so he could support his mother, but truly wasn't upset when the war broke out. He felt no emotional attachment to Wutai back then; Midgar was all he'd known, so that was his home."

"What changed that? I mean, if Midgar was home, why's he in Wutai now?" Akalara asked, looking up at her much-taller love.

"Because he met a woman named Miku Amakura while we were in one occupied town. He told me he was just walking down the street and caught sight of this beautiful woman in a purple kimono with long, long obsidian hair. From that point on, all of his free time was spent with her.

"But Miku was actually a Wutaian ninja, sent to assassinate the unit commanders staying in the town. Her success as a ninja depended on knowing nothing about her targets as people. She'd study them and learn their movements, but if she got to know them, she couldn't slide the knife into their backs. And because Takashi liked to show her off, Miku got to know several of her targets far better than she would have liked." A smile tugged at Sephiroth's lips. "Myself included."

"So why is he in Wutai now?" Akalara pressed, stopping outside the women's changing room.

"You didn't let me finish, Ak. Miku lost the will to kill. The night before a raid on a Wutaian supply train was supposed to occur, she sought Takashi out and told him everything. He came to me, seeking advice; if he had told anybody else, Miku would have been captured and executed. Neither of them wanted that, and Miku had asked Takashi to run away with her, so they could leave the war behind and be together as a man and a woman, not facing each other across enemy lines as warriors."

"So what did you tell him?" the teen asked softly, watching his face.

Sephiroth smiled at her, letting his eyes light up with the strength of his love. "I told him to not get caught. To be vigilant, not get involved in the war again, and to always love and protect his Miku.

"Takashi deserted that same night, and Miku likewise disappeared. I didn't see either of them until the war ended, and I came here for the first time. They both received minor surgery to conceal their identities, and had gotten jobs as a receptionist and a massuese."

"So they ran away to be together, and have found a comfortable life separate from the military they both had been so involved with." Akalara smiled, looking back towards the registration counter. "Novel idea, huh?"

"Undoubtedly." The silver-haired man slid the panel of the men's changing area open. "See you in the springs, Ak."

\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"So I take it you enjoyed the massage, Ak?" Sephiroth teased, laying the teenager's limp body on the pile of blankets that served as their bed.

Akalara rolled onto her back, gazing up at her love with sleepy cranberry eyes. "I feel like cooked noodles, Seph. No bones whatsoever. My skeleton has simply melted away and disappeared."

Sephiroth joined her on the floor after locking the door to their room, settling on the blankets beside her comfortably. "I find it somewhat disconcerting that you seem to prefer the massuer's hands to my touch."

"Where did you get that idea, Seph?" The green-haired trainee grinned at him and reached a hand out. "Nobody gives me a better 'massage' than you."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that. It means you know who you belong to."

"The best there is, I know." She snickered.

"I think you need a reminder." Sephiroth leaned closer to her, then froze the moment before his lips would have touched hers. Akalara likewise paused; a faintly discernable creaking noise had emanated from the sitting room adjacent to their bedroom.

This was a private room, unlike several others in this inn. There shouldn't be anybody else in here.

A thought crossed her mind, but the teenager quickly put it aside with a mental note to ask Sephiroth about it later. Wutai was under ShinRa's control now, but there was a lot of resentment and hatred from the people who lived here; it was entirely possible that whoever was in there meant to strike a blow against the company by killing them.

Sephiroth silently got to his feet and held one hand out in a wordless demand. Akalara reached into her discarded jacket and slowly withdrew one of her kunai, passing the blade to him without question. There was no room to use Masamune in here; the legendary katana would be more of a hindrance than an advantage. The teen noiselessly picked up one of her .45 magnums and joined her love beside the door.

A quick nod was exchanged, and Sephiroth placed one hand against the sliding panel. It snapped open with one forceful shove and the silver-haired man swung around the wall into the room a split-second later. There was a surprised shriek, and then Akalara was in the doorway, gun already aimed at the source of the noise.

A small girl, no older than nine or ten, crouched over their dufflebags, one hand buried within the confines of the top one. Her chocolate eyes were wide with shock, staring at the silver-haired specter pressing a knife to her throat.

Akalara pursed her lips, but didn't cock the hammer back. Instead, she kept the gun trained on the girl's head. Neither she nor Sephiroth would willingly kill a child, but that didn't mean they couldn't make her _think _they would, if it would make her talk. "So now Wutai's sending its children to fight ShinRa? What a tragic waste."

"Maybe we should just kill her. Send Lord Godo a message that we will not spare the lives of those who dare attack us." Sephiroth leveled his famous glare at the girl. Surprisingly, she didn't appear to be affected by the menacing gaze. "What are you doing here, little thief?"

The brown eyes flashed, and the girl sneered back at him. "I'm not a thief! I'm the greatest ninja in the world, the pure light shining in the darkness of ShinRa's shadow!" She took her hand out of the dufflebag to thumb her chest proudly. "Behold the great Super Ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi!"

As soon as the name was said, Akalara lowered her gun with a groan. "Yuffie? You're the pest that's been sending Zack out on all those bogus missions?"

"Hey, it was a great plan! He cleans out the monsters, and I get the treasure in the name of Wutai!" Yuffie stuck her tongue out at the Turk trainee, then yelped as Sephiroth stood up and grabbed her arm.

"You almost got the two of you killed!" Akalara snapped. "And what are you doing rummaging through our bags, anyway?" A nasty little smirk played about her lips as she glared at the girl. "Looking for more human resources estimates? Or perhaps more pictures of naked SOLDIERs?"

"EWW! Don't remind me of that! I was scarred for life! I didn't need to know that men have snakes in their pants in the first place!" Yuffie returned the older female's glare in full measure. "You should be ashamed for corrupting the mind of the white rose of Wutai!"

"And you should be at home where it's safe! Your parents should spank the living daylights out of you for things like this!"

"Enough!" Sephiroth commanded, jerking Yuffie's arm (very gently; if he used more than a fraction of his strength, he could have pulled her arm completely out of the socket, if not right off her body) as a silent warning to shut up. "What are you doing in our room, Yuffie?"

"Stealing your materia, of course." She glared up at him, having to tilt her head all the way back to make eye contact. "Materia is the key to unlocking the chains that bind Wutai. One day, we will throw off our bonds and crush ShinRa to dust!"

Sephiroth ignored this somewhat optimistic proclamation and turned his attention to his woman. "Ak, search the room. She had to have gotten in here somehow."

Yuffie repeatedly attempted to escape Sephiroth's grasp while the teenager went over the walls and floor, but he kept a firm grip on her upper arm despite the prying fingers and vigorous twisting and kicking and cursing. At last, the girl resigned herself to pouting childishly with her arms crossed, chocolate eyes upon Akalara.

"How unoriginal." The trainee tsked as she pushed a wall scroll aside, revealing a partially-ajar panel in the wall. "Invisible when closed, I'll bet. Whatsamatter, kid? Couldn't remember where your escape hatch was if you closed it?"

"A great ninja indeed," Sephiroth murmured. "Anyway, I am willing to let you go, Yuffie. With an appropriate escort back to your home, of course."

"I can slip anybody's grasp. Your materia shall be mine, vile face of ShinRa!" Yuffie declared, renewing her struggles.

Akalara stepped in, seeing how thin her lover's patience was stretched. "Even great super ninjas such as yourself require rest, Yuffie. You must be very tired from this ordeal," she soothed, palming something in her belt.

"But I'm not - "

"Sleepel."

Yuffie immediately went limp, her breathing even and shallow. Sephiroth nodded his praise, then passed the sleeping child into his woman's grasp. "I'll be right back. Make sure she stays asleep," he commanded.

"Sure thing, Seph." Akalara settled onto the floor and pulled Yuffie into her lap, keeping one hand ready on the necessary materia on the off-chance that the girl shook off the effects early. The trainee watched the girl sleep, and the sudden thought struck her that she wanted to do this more often in the future.

But with her own child rather than somebody else's.

Almost immediately, she pushed the thought away. The only babies she wanted to have were the ones given to her by the man she loved, which meant Sephiroth. And according to the file she and Kandi had hacked into, that was impossible. Hojo's notes had claimed that no human woman could possibly conceive and bear Sephiroth's child, since there was so much excess mako in his semen. For all points and purposes, he was sterile.

So there would be no children for them. Not biological ones, anyway.

As heavy footsteps heralded Sephiroth's return to the room, with the innkeeper in tow, Akalara cherished the moment for what it was worth. This was as close to being a mother as she would ever get.


	7. The Hardest Thing

**Queen's Quornor: **I feel so sorry for the two of them here... But at least Zack still has Kandi! And how, oh dear gods how, is Seph going to take the news of his best friend's impending motherhood? Actually, I'm not entirely sure. He still has to find out about something a little more close to home...

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_**A/N: So messed up.**_

_**Disclaimer: OC's belong to the respective creators, canon hotties to Squeenix and I own a gaggle of Leprechauns.**_

The Hardest Thing

His boots echoed on the hardwood of the church floor as he made his way toward the kneeling figure tending to the white and yellow flowers. The sunlight was peeking in through the holes in the ceiling and through the plate, dancing over the chestnut locks falling to her shoulders. Zack still maintained the first thought that popped into his head after seeing her; she was an angel.

And he was about to lose her.

Alerted by his boots on the floor, green eyes turned up and smiled at him. "Zack!" Aerith exclaimed, rising to her feet. She gently hugged him, genuinely pleased by his presence. "What brings you down here?"

Zack took her hand and led her over to a church pew, gesturing for her to sit and then sliding in beside her. "Aerith," he began, taking her hand in his. "We need to talk."

"Sure," she said with a gentle nod of her head. She smiled at him. "What did you want to talk about?"

Zack took a deep breath. "I just want you to know... Aerith, I really like you," he said, watching as she blushed a bit. "You're pretty, you're wonderful, you make me feel like the strongest, most heroic man on the Planet. I really care about you."

Aerith smiled at him, biting her lip a bit. "I really care about you, too, Zack," she answered softly, lacing their fingers together.

"I got to tell you something," Zack continued quietly. "And I don't know how you will take it."

"What is it, Zack?" she asked gently. "Whatever it is, I'll understand."

Zack looked into those unbelieveably green eyes and shook his head. "I don't think you will," he replied. "Look, I know you've thought we've been a couple since we met, and I'm sorry if I led you to believe that. The fact of the matter is, Aerith...we've never been exclusive. And because of that, I've been with other girls."

Aerith blinked. "Oh," she said softly. "Oh...okay."

Zack swallowed the lump in his throat. "And now, there's a situation that's come up," he continued. "I'm...going to be a...parent."

Aerith sniffed and blinked her eyes rapidly to stop her tears from falling. "Y-you got one of these girls pregnant?" she whispered, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.

Zack shook his head. "I'm pregnant," he whispered back.

The flower girl simply stared at him. "Zack," she said shakily. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" he asked.

"Stop lying!" she exclaimed rising to her feet. "If you don't want be with me, just say it! Don't make up a lie about being pregnant."

"It's not a lie," Zack protested. "I swear to Shiva, it's not a lie."

"Right," Aerith said crying openly now. "And just who is the father?"

Zack took a deep breath. "Kandi, my secretary," he answered. "There was this stuff that the science lab developed that altered genders. She wanted to know what it was like to be on the giving end of sex, so I agreed."

Aerith's eyes, if possible, turned even more hurt. "Your secretary?" she asked. "That girl I met at your work? You've been sleeping with her?"

"Yes," Zack told her. "I have."

Aerith rose to her feet and went back to her flowers. "Please leave, Zack," she told him shakily.

"Aerith, I never wanted to hurt you..."

"Please...just go," she sobbed.

"Aerith..."

"I don't want to see you again!" she cried out, wrapping her arms around her waist and dropping to her knees. "Please..."

Zack took a deep breath and rose to his feet. "I'm sorry this happened, Aerith," he told her sincerely. "But, I'm going to do everything I can to protect this baby. It's still mine, you know? But...I wish...things could have been different. I could have...fallen in love with you."

Aerith wept harder as she listened to the sound of his retreating footsteps. "I already had," she whispered, tears falling onto the petals of her flowers.

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Kandi looked up as the door to her apartment opened and Zack walked in. She tossed her magazine aside and studied him. "How'd she take it?" she asked softly.

Zack shook his head and fell onto the couch with her. "She didn't scream and yell or tell me to go to hell," he said, blowing out a breath. "But she never wants to see me again."

"Zack, I'm so sorry," she said, rubbing his leg soothingly. "I know you really liked her."

"Yeah," he said, placing his arm around her and stroking her hair. "Yeah, I did."

Kandi leaned against his shoulder and took a deep breath. "What now?" she asked.

Zack sighed. "I'm gonna have to tell Seph," he stated. "Maybe he can station me somewhere far away from here. Of course, I'll have to have my secretary with me."

"Oh, of course," she stated with a grin. "Face it, you're lost without me."

Zack stared down at her and chuckled. "I definitely don't know what I'd do without you," he answered, kissing her forehead.

"Starve," she replied with a wink. "Guess what I made today?"

Zack's eyes lit up. "Chocobo noodle soup?" he asked hopefully.

Kandi kissed his nose. "Just like your mother used to make," she told him. "At least, I hope so."

He pulled her into his arms and pressed their foreheads together, grinning at her. "You're the best, you know that?" he asked.

"Yeah, you just remember that when you go into labor, SOLDIER Boy."

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_**A/N: Crisis Core is making me an Aerith sympathizer. Damn it.**_


	8. Realizations and Unthinkable Terrors

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea. Disguise materia is mine, too. SE didn't think that one; I did.

**Queen's Quornor:** Fun with angst! WOO!

Realizations and Unthinkable Terrors

Akalara clutched at the porcelain desperately, trying her damndest to keep the noise to a minimum. Sephiroth was still asleep; he didn't need to be woken up by the sounds of her rebellious stomach emptying its contents into the toilet.

Whatever this was, it had come up very quickly. She hadn't felt sick at all until roughly two minutes ago, when she had come in to see if her period had started yet. It was supposed to have started yesterday, later after Yuffie's attemtped theft, but had turned out to be a no-show.

The green-haired teen flushed the toilet, then got to her feet and ran water in the sink to rinse her mouth. Spitting the tainted liquid down the drain, Akalara pondered the current puzzle of her period. Her cycle normally ran like clockwork, with the flow beginning exactly thirty days after the previous one ended, always kicking in somewhere around 11:30 at night.

As of twenty minutes ago, it was a full two days late.

No reason to panic, she told herself. A quick check in her day planner would be enough to set her mind at ease. Probably she had just gotten the days crossed and her period was going to start tommorow night.

She quietly opened the door and tiptoed back into the bedroom to the dufflebags, unzipping hers and removing her leather-bound day planner. Confidently she flipped to the date of her last period and started counting off the days.

Her heart lost its rhythm when she realized that her last flow had ended exactly 32 days ago.

The day planner slipped from her nerveless fingers, bouncing off the dufflebag and clapping shut on the floor. The slight, sudden noise brought Sephiroth awake, but the Turk trainee didn't notice. Her mind was too caught up in sudden terror.

There were only two explanations for an uncharacteristically late period. Pregnancy...

Or cancer.

Sephiroth was the only man she had had unprotected sex with (actually, the only man at all) in the past month, and he was sterile. The last time she had sex with either Zack or Reno had been before her last period, and they habitually wore condoms when they slept with a woman who wasn't on birth control. There was no way she could be pregnant.

So that meant...

"Ak?" She let out a soft, high keen at the velvety call of her love's voice, and a moment later strong, slender arms were secure around her upper body, holding her against immovable heat. "What's wrong?"

"Seph...!" The teenager twisted in his embrace and threw her arms around his chest, sobbing piteously into his sternum. She felt Sephiroth's back curve as he bent his head over her, and wished she was a little taller. That way he could hold her and kiss her hair soothingly without hurting his back, the way Zack sometimes held Kandi. The difference in height between them really sucked at times like these, and that made her cry even harder. He was so close and yet so far away.

Sephiroth sensed her need for closer comfort and guided them to the floor, pulling her into his lap and holding her close. Akalara wrapped her legs around his waist and clutched at him desperately, feeling so very afraid and weak. He was her anchor, and she clung to his strength as a drowning soul in the ocean of her tears.

As her sobs slowed and salt burned in her eyes, the teen became aware of Sephiroth's cheek resting against her head, one long hand smoothing through her hair tirelessly. Held securely against him, coccooned in the warmth of his love, Akalara felt strong enough to share her terror with him.

"I need to see a doctor, Seph," she whispered hoarsely.

"Why?" he returned, voice equally soft.

"Because I..." The sentance caught in her throat, choking her. "I'm late," she finally forced out. "My period's late."

The hand stilled in her hair. "Do you think...?"

The green-haired trainee swallowed the lump in her throat. Sephiroth didn't know Hojo's conclusions about his virility, nor did she have the courage to tell him, for fear that he might think her unfaithful. "I don't know," she finally admitted. "I was told that...I couldn't get pregnant." _Not by you_.

"Who told you that?"

She swallowed again. "Hojo."

The hand resting against the back of her head tightened slightly, a brief pressure that was quickly released. "How could you be late if it's not pregnancy?" he prodded quietly.

Tears welled again, and Akalara buried her face in his neck, feeling his pulse against the bridge of her nose. "I could have ca...cancer, Seph," she croaked.

Now the arms were bands of steel around her body, binding her as tightly to him as possible in an unconscious effort to protect her from invisible assailants. "Are you sure, Ak?" Now the desperation, the fear, infected his voice as well. "You can't have... It's not possible!"

"There isn't another explanation," she sobbed, squeezing him tighter. "What am I going to do, Seph? I've never been this scared in my life!"

Then she was weeping again, on the shoulder of the one man she trusted to see her like this. He was strong and she was weak; he would be strong for her. Sephiroth continued to shield her in his arm, offering his love and support in the face of a terror he could not defeat.

He had never felt so helpless in his life.

A thought struck him then and he grasped at it instantly, desperate for any thread of salvation from that unthinkable conclusion. "Go buy a test," he muttered.

"What?" Akalara drew back to look at him with wide eyes.

"Go buy a pregnancy test." Sephiroth locked her gaze with his, seeing the terror mirrored in the watery red glow. "Hojo may have been mistaken, since human fertility isn't his forte. Let's rule out pregnancy before we jump to conclusions."

Akalara took a deep, shaky breath, and the glow in her irises dimmed slightly. "All right. I'll go buy one."

As she started to get up, something clicked in the silver-haired man's brain and he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"Ak... Turk trainees only recieve a fraction of the mako exposure and treatments a SOLDIER cadet must undergo. Just enough to slightly enhance speed, strength, and nightvision. _Maybe _give them the hint of a shine, like what Reno has."

"Yeah. So?" She tried to get up once more, but her love's hand held her in place. "Seph, I have to go buy a test."

"Why are your eyes glowing?"

Fear was replaced with complete shock, and suddenly the eyes were gone as their owner took off for the bathroom. Sephiroth joined her as she gazed intently into the mirror, taking in the soft glow suffusing her cranberry irises. "I haven't received any more mako than the other trainees. How did this happen?" the teen demanded of no one in particular.

"You've obviously been getting mako from somewhere." Sephiroth shrugged. "We'll worry about that later. Right now, you need to go buy a pregnancy test."

Akalara stared hard at the mirror a little longer, then quickly slid out of the bathroom and snatched up her clothes. "What are we going to do if..."

"Don't even say it, Ak." Neither of them were willing to face the awful possibility. "Let's just see if Hojo was right or not first."

"All right." The trainee inhaled deeply, forcing herself to calm down as she tugged her shirt into place. "All right, Seph. Test first, worry later."

She zoomed out the door as soon as she was decent, leaving her silver-haired lover alone with stomach-clenching fear...

...as well as a secret hope.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"I can't look at it. You read it!" Akalara shoved the early detection test at her lover and quickly moved away, shaking with fear. Sephiroth took the test hesitantly, as apprehensive as his teenage love. Whatever that test told them, their lives were about to be irrevocably changed.

Peridot eyes flicked to the side, where Akalara was leaning sideways against the wall with her arms crossed, one knotted fist pressed tightly against her mouth. She seemed to be expecting the absolute worst.

He licked his lips and raised the test.

"Ak?"

There was a questioning noise from the green-haired teen.

"You're pregnant!"

Her eyes flew open and she wrenched the test out of his hands, staring into the digital window with almost comical shock. "I'm pregant! I don't have cancer!" She sprang into his arms, laughing with relief and joy. "I'm pregnant!"

Sephiroth didn't join in with her celebratory exaltations, but he couldn't keep the ear-splitting grin off his face. He had dreamed of being a father someday. _And now he was!_

Legs locked around his waist, the teenager hugged him tightly, drunk on happiness. "We're going to be parents, Seph! I don't know how, but we are! I'm not growing a tumor, I'm carrying a baby!"

"Our baby." Sephiroth took them to the bed on the floor and laid her down, possessively laying one hand atop her lower abdomen. "Do you know how long I've wanted to be a father?"

She shook her head, cranberry eyes shining with joy. "Now you are one. Or will be, in about nine months. And I'm going to be a mother."

Long fingers caressed the still-flat, taut skin of her belly. "It's funny. I always thought the mother of my children would be older, and not affiliated with ShinRa. Just a regular civillian with an open mind."

"Well, you've got a nineteen year old Turk-in-training with naturally green hair." Akalara's smile faltered slightly. "That's not a problem, is it?"

Sephiroth leaned in to kiss her. "It wouldn't be a problem even if you were jailbait."

"You old sweet-talker, you." She raised one hand, linking her fingers with the one resting atop her womb. "Parents. Didn't think I'd actually get the chance to try my hand at it. Especially with somebody else."

"Akalara..."

"Hm?" The teenager sat up, noticing the hestitation on his face. A twinge of fear rippled through her gut; was he about to tell her that she was on her own with this baby? "What is it, Seph?"

"There's another part to my dream, other than being a father." He took her hands, clasping them firmly in his own. "When people look at me, they don't see me as anything other than ShinRa's Silver General, or as a hero. Maybe they see me as a merciless killer, or as the ultimate object of their lust. I've even been told that I am a 'wet dream walking' before. But very few people realize that I want the same thing so many of them do, or that I often crave what they have."

"Which is?"

His gaze bored into her own, sincerity ringing in every syllable, every word. "To settle down. Start a family with a woman by my side. Not merely as my lover, but as my wife. My partner, not my servant."

Akalara had an overwhelming sense of deja vu, feeling heart speed up at his words. "Why are you telling me this?" she breathed.

"In an ideal world, this would be the moment when I ask you to be that woman. To be my wife. But this isn't an ideal world." Sephiroth sighed and bowed his head, silver hair spilling forward to hide his face from view. "I can't ask you to marry me, Akalara. Not right now."

She practically heard the _splash!_ as her heart plunged into her stomach. "Why not?"

The molten head did not rise. "It would be too dangerous. We've been sleeping together for five months, but nobody's really believed us to be dating. We haven't been exclusive for a week, yet. If we suddenly go back to Midgar from a vacation in Wutai, just the two of us, with the announcement that we're engaged to wed..."

"People will wonder if love was the only reason behind it." Akalara forced the lump in her throat back down, squeezing her love's hands tight. "I understand, Seph."

"I will ask you. But not for a few weeks yet, not until the rumors about our relationship have died down a little. Can you wait a few weeks, Akalara? For your ring?" Now he did look at her, and the yearning in his peridot eyes made her chest hurt. "Can you wait to be mine?"

"I'm already yours, Sephiroth. I can wait on the legal recognition for as long as it takes, so long as I have you." Akalara leaned forward to embrace him, their lips meeting in a tender kiss. After a long moment, they drew back to look at each other. "But what do we do when I start showing? People will gossip then, ring or not."

"We'll think of something when it becomes a bit more obvious. But nobody should be too upset. Once we get Dr. Quorra to verify your pregnancy, your training can be postponed as necessary. Verdot will be annoyed, but he won't get rid of you, because the Turks need your expertise with bombs. There aren't any true explosives experts among their ranks right now. Rude can build an effective bomb, but that's not really his specialty."

"And none of the trainees can tell a pipe bomb from a pipe wrench," Akalara snorted. "Most of them aren't even aware of the existence of chemical bombs or even plastic explosives. I mean, a few choice selections from Hojo's lab, and I could blow the entire ShinRa building sky-high." Upon hearing her own words, the green-haired teen felt the blood drain from her face. "Hojo! He can't find out about the baby!"

Sephiroth followed her lead and went as white as a ghost. "Specimens... He wouldn't be satisfied only with our baby, Ak. He'd want you, too, if not both of us. He would want to figure out how he labelled a perfectly fertile woman infertile and use us to produce further specimens for his sick experiments."

"That's the least of what he'd do to us!" Panicked cranberry eyes flew to his face, wide and glowing. "I'm not letting that insane freak get our baby, Seph! I'll blow all our brains out before I'll let him drag us into the labs!"

"No! We aren't going to that extreme, Akalara!" He let go of her hands to grab her upper arms, steadying her and forcing her to listen. "Hojo won't find out. And if he does, he still won't make us into more of his 'precious specimens'." Sephiroth spat the hated words out, the glow from his eyes getting stronger with each passing second. "I am not going back to the labs again. Nor am I going to let him lay a finger on my woman or my child. I remember what he did to me; there's no way I'll allow any of those experiments to be repeated on anybody that I love."

"So what do we do, Seph?" Akalara didn't resist as he curled his arms around her, unable to do more than tremble helplessly against his chest. "You can't hide something like this forever, not even with Disguise materia. The floors above level fifty-nine all have scanners that check to make sure you aren't using something like that!"

She felt his chest rise and fall in a heavy sigh, and he pulled her into his lap so that she leaned sideways against him, his chin pillowed atop her hair. "We'll have to run away. Go somewhere beyond ShinRas's reach, even if it's only temporarily so. If we can escape detection until after the baby is born, then we'll have a chance at freedom. It might mean using Disguise materia every day for the rest of our lives, and having no permanent home anywhere, but it would keep us out of Hojo's grasp."

"But we'll need gil, Seph. For supplies, bribes, ethers... I know you have a lot saved up in the bank and I've got a decent nest-egg, too, but that shit will add up and get expensive."

"We'll have to chance detection for a few months. Just long enough for both of us to accumulate more gil." He nuzzled her hair softly, and she snaked one arm around him in response. "We'll have to tell our friends. Kandi's good with computers, isn't she?"

"The best I know." Akalara began rubbing her love's back, detecting the slight tremble that indicated his anxiety. They were equals in this, both afraid of the nightmare Hojo represented. They both needed whatever comfort the other could give.

"Could she hack into ShinRa's bank accounts or company finances?"

"You'd have to ask her. She's a wizard with a computer, but I don't know how far she can hack into the company systems. Anything dealing with the finances might be too difficult for her."

Sephiroth adjusted her slightly, settling her more comfortably in the cradle of his crossed legs. "Either she hacks into the accounts and gets a sum of gil to us, or we're going to have to get Reno to steal it for us. We can only earn so much before we have to leave, and I don't think it'll be enough."

"Do you want us to be billionaires on the run or something, Seph? Disappear into a diamond-encrusted sunset?" she couldn't help joking. If she didn't release some of this terror somehow, she'd start crying again.

"We won't be able to hold down regular jobs for a very long time, Ak. Perhaps never again," the silver-haired man pointed out. "The gil is necessary, unfortunately. People will have to be bribed, we'll need food and transportation..."

"Say no more," the teen begged. "I get it. We need even more gil than I thought. So what do we do now?"

Sephiroth leaned backwards, removing one hand from his love's curled body to grab for his pants. Sitting back up and dragging them into view, he pulled out his cell phone. "We should call our friends first, and alert them to the situation. We'll need their help getting out of Midgar, one way or another." A tiny smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth then. "Besides, I think I'm fully within my rights to brag about my newest position in life. It's just too bad that I can't see their faces when I tell them I'm going to be a father."

That startled a chuckle out the green-haired teenager, who snuggled more closely against his chest, thankful for any distraction from thoughts of the worst-case scenerio playing in her mind. "Forget that. I'd love to see Kandi and Blackspike's reactions when they find out I'm playing mother to your father."

The phone was flipped open and a button was pressed. "I'll be sure to put it on speaker-phone," Sephiroth assured her, holding the item where they both could speak into it.


	9. Good News Can't Wait

**Queen's Quornor: **Amazon's next chapter, and it's a pretty cool one. My next chapter will be up ASAP, but no idea on when that'll be. I'm working on this project for one of my classes about video games that are extreme, and it's more difficult to wade through advertisements and shit like that on the Net to find what I'm looking for. Basically, I'm looking for examples of games that push the envelope of acceptable content and dialogue and story, as well as how certain games affect you long after the console is turned off. Another facet of the project is the way some games affect a player emotionally, despite knowing that these characters only exist within the boundaries of the game and cease existence once power has ceased being supplied to the game. Obviously FFVII is a part of this, but also games like Doom, Manhunt, Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, Grand Theft Auto, God of War, Resident Evil, Mass Effect... I'd work with more RPGs, but there's another girl focusing on them and I don't want to encroach upon her territory. So, anyway, I'm not sure when I'll next be able to post. Sometime next week, at the latest, since this is due next Monday.

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_**A/N: Band names are fun to fuck with.**_

_**Disclaimer: Meh...seriously, do I have to? (glares from Japanese lawyers) Fine. I don't own it.**_

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Good News Can't Wait...

_Pain, without love_

_Pain, can't get enough_

_Pain, I like it rough_

_I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_

Normally, the delicious lyrics of anything by 'Grace Period of Three Days' was a welcome sound to Kandi's ears. But not at 12:30 in the fucking morning!

Zack moaned and rolled over to get his phone as the chorus to 'Pain' started playing again. He sat up and his stomach lurched, causing him to abandon his task and run into Kandi's bathroom, throwing up the Wutain take-out they'd had for supper. Oh, that wasn't going to be pretty.

Rolling over to Zack's side of the bed, Kandi grabbed his phone and flipped it open. "Hello?" she asked groggily.

_"Kandi?" _came a deep voice that always managed to send a chill down her spine.

"Seph?" she asked, wide awake now. She sat up, clutching the sheets to her bare chest. "Hey! What's up? How's Wutai?"

He chuckled and she nearly squealed in fangirlish glory, but refrained as she heard Zack throwing up again. _"It's really beautiful. We are enjoying ourselves."_

"Great!" she exclaimed. "Uh, wanna tell me why you're calling at 12:30 in the morning?"

_"Would you care to tell me why you're answering Zackary's cell phone?" _he countered, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"He's staying over at my place for a while," she said, listening as the toilet flushed and Zack began washing up. "Hang on. He'll be out in a second. He's having a real rough time right now."

_"Staying at your place?" _he asked. _"I thought he was supposed to be in Nibelheim?"_

"Yeah, long story and I think I'll let him tell you, Seph," she said quickly. "Tell Ak 'hi' and give her a kiss for me, 'kay? Here's Zack."

Kandi handed the phone to Zack as he collapsed back on the bed. She climbed out and threw on his t-shirt. Leaning down, she kissed his clammy forehead. "I'll go get you some 6up, okay Babe?" she asked.

Zack nodded gratefully and leaned back against the pillows. "Thanks, Babe," he said with a small grin. He placed the phone up to his ear. "Hey Seph? Everything okay?"

_"I could ask you the same thing,"_ his General answered. _"Why aren't you in Nibelheim?"_

"Well, I can't really go on a mission if I'm throwing my guts up, now can I?" Zack countered with a slight laugh.

Silence on Sephiroth's end. Then, _"You're sick? How?"_

"Happened to you once, Seph," he replied. "Proves we're human after all."

Sephiroth chuckled. _"Indeed," _he agreed. _"I apologize for the late phone call."_

"Yeah, we _were _kinda sleeping," Zack said, taking the 6up and crackers Kandi had brought for him. "Thanks, Babe," he told her.

Kandi nodded and settled down next to him, guiding his head into her lap and rubbing his temples soothingly. Zack closed his eyes and grinned, loving the pampering she had been giving him lately. Aside from the puking, sickness, fatigue, sore pecs, and all around weirdness of the situation, being pregnant...wasn't half bad.

Zack pulled his cell from his ear and placed it on speaker. "Okay, so what's going on, Seph?" he asked, nibbling on a cracker. "You're not one to call in the middle of the night for no damn reason."

_"No, I'm not,"_ he answered. _"I've actually called to brag, Zackary."_

"About what?" he teased. "Akalara let you have a threesome with a Wutain hottie? Been there, done that."

"Last month," Kandi piped up with a laugh.

Sephiroth laughed again. _"No, but there will be three of us soon enough," _he said cryptically. _"In about...oh, nine months or so."_

Zack inhaled sharply and choked on a bit of cracker. Kandi pushed him up into a sitting position and whacked him hard on the back, dislodging the food. She handed him his drink and he slurped it gratefully. The red-streaked woman looked down at the abandoned phone in shock. Picking it up, she shrieked, "Ak's pregnant?!"

_"We just found out about 20 minutes ago,"_ Sephiroth said proudly.

"But...but I thought that was impossible," the secretary continued. "I mean, Hojo--"

_"He was wrong,"_ Sephiroth interrupted. _"I'm going to be a father."_

Zack's face split from ear to ear in a grin. "That's great, Seph!" he exclaimed. "I know how long you've wanted to be a father. This calls for a celebration!"

_"Drinks on me when we get back to Midgar,"_ Seph offered. _"I wanted to tell you, Zack, because you're my best friend. I don't have to tell you two to keep this strictly confidential, do I?"_

"Not at all," Kandi said. "But, uh, Zack won't be able to join us for drinks. Doctor says he's gotta stay away from alcohol for a while."

_"Is that so?" _Sephiroth inquired. _"My goodness, Zack, whatever you have must be rather serious. How long until you can toast my pending fatherhood?"_

"Oh, about eight or nine months," Zack mumbled.

Sephiroth was silent for a minute. _"Pardon?" _he asked. _"I don't think I quite caught that."_

Kandi shrugged her shoulders and looked over at her lover. "At least they'll have a friend their same age," she said with a grin. She turned to the phone. "I'll drink with you, Seph. We'll toast to each other's great impregnating capability."

Zack snickered. "Yep," he said. "Not only are you going to be a father in nine months, but you're also gonna be an uncle."

_"Zackary, what in the name of the Planet are you going on about?" _the silver-haired man asked.

The black haired SOLDIER grabbed Kandi's hand as she stiffled a laugh. "Sephiroth," he said. "As unbelievable as this is gonna sound...I'm pregnant."

The sound of Sephiroth's phone hitting the ground was all that could be heard on the line.

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_**A/N: So much sharing. So much love. So messed up. And yet...so fun.**_


	10. You Did What?

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea. Disguise materia is mine, too. SE didn't think that one; I did.

**Queen's Quornor: **My apologies. I took much longer than expected to write up this chapter. But I have a excuse! It's finals week here; I've been busy with oral presentations! Anyway, I'll be posting Maniac's next chapter tomorrow. I've held that chapter back long enough, methinks.

You Did WHAT?

The phone hit the ground, breaking Akalara's thoughts. She looked at her lover, taking in his shocked expression with surprise. "Seph? What's wrong?" He merely pointed to the phone, peridot eyes wide. The green-haired teen snatched up the phone and reset the speaker option; it seemed to have gotten turned off during the past few minutes. "Zack?"

_"Hey, Ak!" _She detected no small amount of amusement in his familiar voice.

_"Congratulations, Green Bitch!" _a completely unexpected voice called.

"Kandi? What are you doing in Nibelheim?"

_"I didn't go on the mission, on grounds of pregnancy," _Zack explained.

Akalara grinned. "So you knocked Kandi up, eh? Great! She and I can make everybody's lives miserable for the next nine months!"

_"Actually, Ak," _Kandi snickered, _"it's the other way around. _I _knocked _him _up."_

Akalara dropped the phone as if it had bitten her. "That's impossible!" she shrieked. "It's... Things don't work like that!"

_"Remember how I told you about our little experiment with the Green Sludge, Ak?" _Kandi asked playfully.

"Yeah, but you changed back!"

"What about the Green Sludge?" Sephiroth demanded, picking the phone up again.

Zack chuckled. _"Remember how I was kind of curious about sex as a woman, Seph?"_

"Yes, but what does..." Sephiroth's voice trailed off as his eyes widened. "You didn't."

Laughter rang from the phone in response. Akalara buried her face in his chest, giggling.

"Tell me you didn't, Zack!"

_"I did. Or rather, we did. And once we were done, I had a uterus and a baby inside. Uterus didn't go away because there was already somthing' in it,"_ the younger SOLDIER said, still laughing.

"You were a woman long enough to ovulate and conceive?" Akalara asked, taking her face out of her lover's chest. "I mean, I know you both turned into the opposite gender and had sex, but... How could you have been fertile that fast, Zack?"

_"Who knows? I don't know how that stuff works. All I know is that I'm the first man in history to get pregnant."_

_"And I'm the first woman to impregnate a man." _Kandi's grin was audible over the phone. _"We're all going to be parents! Isn't this great? Our kids can grow up together!"_

_"How far along are you, Ak?" _Zack inquired.

"Beats me. My period's only late by two days," the green-haired woman replied.

_"Both of us seem to have pulled off the impossible, Green Girl," _Kandi remarked. _"We'll have to talk about that when you get back. I wanna know how you managed to get pregnant."_

The teenager didn't reply. Kandi was the one who had hacked into Sephiroth's file; she knew he wasn't supposed to be able to get her pregnant.

"So does anybody else know about your baby, Zack?" Sephiroth queried.

_"Dr. Quorra's the one who figured out what was wrong with me. There was also a nurse, but I don't think she's untrustworthy. Other than that, Aerith's the only other person we've told, and she has no real connection to ShinRa apart from me." _Zack's voice lowered. _"Hojo doesn't know yet, and we'd like to keep it that way."_

"Same here. He would be very interested in our child." Sephiroth's free arm tightened around his teenaged love. "Now that we know about each other's offspring, we can protect each other."

_"We should probably tell our other friends, Seph. If Reno and Tseng know, they could give us a heads-up if Doctor Creepy finds out. Lily and Christine should be told, too." _Kandi's voice was nervous, but matter-of-fact. _"Secretaries are like ghosts in the company; nobody notices them until they have need of their services."_

"Somebody will realize something's amiss eventually, guy," Akalara pointed out, hating to be the bearer of bad tidings. "We're going to get baby bumps, Zack. Once you and I are waddling around like fat chocobos, Hojo can't possibly overlook the possibility of pregnancy."

"Akalara and I are going to disappear before that happens," Sephiroth elaborated. "With bribes and Disguise materia, we can conceivably stay one step ahead of the forces ShinRa will send to recover us. Hopefully we can spend the rest of our lives unfettered. But only if we remain on the run."

_"I dunno what we're going to do. But..."_ There was a pause, as Zack gathered his thoughts. _"Kandi and I could run, too."_

"You'll have to, Zack. Hojo's stolen SOLDIERs and civilians for less; he'd stop at nothing to get you in the labs." The silver-haired man closed his eyes and bent his neck, resting his cheek atop Akalara's hair. "Ethics don't concern him. You know that."

"You'll need to take somebody with you." Akalara shifted in Sephiroth's lap, settling herself more deeply into the cradle of his crossed legs. A low rumble vibrated in his chest in response to her actions. "I don't think fighting will be very easy with a big belly."

There was silence on the other end. _"I can use a gun," _Zack finally said. _"And Kandi can learn to shoot."_

"It'd be best to have somebody else with you, somebody who can use a sword." Sephiroth began idly raking his fingers through his love's dark emerald hair, gently. "What about Kunsel?"

_"I don't think so. He's too valuable here, since he's so good at sniffing out lies and discrepancies here at ShinRa. Luxiere's not a good choice; he's more like a fanboy than a SOLDIER."_

Kandi piped up. _"What about Cloud? He's smart and loyal, and seems to be halfway decent with a sword. With a little training, he could be a great fighter."_

_"But Cloud's big dream is to be a SOLDIER," _Zack protested. _"I can't take that away from him!"_

"You're his mentor and best friend, Blackspike," Akalara said. "He'd want to help you, especially if it means the difference between freedom and you getting dragged back to the labs."

Zack heaved a sigh. _"I'll talk to him about it. But don't hold your breath."_

Sephiroth nuzzled his cheek into Akalara's hair, and she in turn wrapped her arm around his torso, the other stroking down his stomach. "Kandi, I have something to ask you."

_"Ask away, General."_

"Can you hack into ShinRa's bank account, or finances? We'll need a large amount of gil for bribes, transportation, and supplies."

The red-streaked woman scoffed. _"Does the President have a fat ass? How much gil are we talking, here?"_

"At least a billion."

There was the distinct sound of Zack's phone bouncing off somebody's body (most likely its owner's, since he let out a pained yelp), and then a rustling noise as it was picked back up again. _"A billion gil? Are you shitting me?"_ Kandi demanded, her volume forcing Sephiroth to jerk the phone away from himself and Akalara.

"We need enough to provide for us until we can get some kind of regular life," he explained. "Ak and I will also need Disguise materia, and the ethers to replenish our magic on a regular basis."

Kandi blew a heavy sigh. _"I can transfer small funds towards you over a few months, no problem. But that billion is going to have to wait until the night you make a run for it."_

_"Hey Kandi?"_ Zack spoke up. "_We're going to need a ton of gil if we run, too."_

The red-streaked woman cursed, then changed the subject. _"So apart from flying the coop and robbing ShinRa blind, what does this mean? Are you two getting married, Seph?"_

Akalara snuggled against her love's naked chest, feeling and hearing his response. "In the future, yes. But it's too dangerous right now. Akalara and I haven't been official for more than a few days, despite our sexual relationship. What will peope naturally conclude if we come back and Ak's sporting an engagement ring?"

_"The rumor-mill would have a field day with that," _Zack agreed. _"Dead giveaway that something's up with you two."_

_"The secretaries, cadets, and trainees are already in an uproar about your going steady," _Kandi interjected. _"It was a regular frenzy when word got about out about you two going to Wutai, especially when you refused the Nibelheim mission for it, Seph." _The red-streaked woman laughed. _"Gotta hand it to you, Ak. Right now, you're the most hated and envied woman in Midgar!"_

"I couldn't care less what jealous fangirls think of me." Akalara pressed her lips to Sephiroth's heart, feeling him nuzzle her hair once more. "He's the only one that matters."

_"Oh, so we're chopped liver?" _Zack snorted. _"Thanks a lot, Ak."_

"Your opinions matter. I just don't pay much attention to them where my man and I are concerned."

"Agreed. All that matters is how I feel about my woman, and how she feels about me." Sephiroth balanced the phone on Akalara's knees, so he could embrace her with both arms. "And now that she is carrying my child, nothing short of total annihilation will keep me apart from her."

_"You realize that if you _don't _marry her, I'm going to kick your ass, right Seph?" _Zack commented off-handedly.

"If such a thing ever comes to pass, you have my full permission to beat some sense into my head." Sephiroth's lips quirked. "Unless your belly gets in the way, that is."

_"If it does, I'll get Kandi to kick your ass for me."_

_"So you and I can get drunk when you get back, Seph?" _Kandi said. "_Zack and Ak can have pop or flavored water or something."_

"Like I said, I'm buying. We can go full-out once our kids are born and we're back together again." Sephiroth chuckled. "I'd still like to hear this from Dr. Quorra's mouth. I'll ask her when we go to confirm Akalara's pregnancy."

_"She says the Green Sludge might be a good way for infertile couples to have children in the future, if Zack's pregnancy is successful." _Kandi snickered mischieviously. _"Hey Seph. Did Ak tell you she wanted to try the same thing with you?"_

"What?"

"Bye guys! See you when you get back!" The phone call was ended as Kandi hung up, leaving Akalara to face an indignant silver-haired man.

"Was she being honest, Ak?" he demanded, his voice soft.

Akalara sighed. She would have broached the topic with far more tact than Kandi just had. "I did steal some of the sludge and two doses of antidote, Seph. I was curious about what it would feel like if our roles were reversed. However..." She sat up straight and met his eyes; he knew she couldn't lie directly into somebody's eyes. "I don't want to anymore. I think I prefer being the fuckee as long as you are the fucker."

A shiver raced along her spine then, as a wicked, purely masculine smirk twisted his lips. "How about we reiterate the way of things? Until you are absolutely certain you prefer things this way."

"Pound that lesson in as many times as necessary, Seph. I'm a slow learner sometimes." Akalara squealed as he took them down to the floor.

He balanced himself over her prone form, smirking down at her, eyes glowing softly. "Let the lesson begin," he murmured, lowering himself onto her.


	11. The Big Wet at Last!

**Maniac studios: emo free since 2007 (smiley face and a thumb up)**

**Disclaimer: Tifa and canon characters all belong to Square Enix.**

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In hindsight perhaps a mini-skirt was not the wisest choice of travelling clothes. Perhaps the whole concept of travelling to Midgar could have done with a bit of thinking through instead of just going on impulse.

One impulse she was trying to contain was the impulse to punch this sick freak's head in if he didn't stop giving her 'a look'.

Part of the reason was that she was currently cramped up in a shuttle trip from Gongaga to Costa del Sol. It took about 2 days off the journey by foot and it had been bad enough getting to the village in the jungle in the first place.

All the training in the world wouldn't had given her enough experience for the long road. Nibel wolves were simple enough on their own. But near Cosmo Canyon they no longer played fair, or at least fair enough to have their fangs kicked towards the four corners of the world. Harpies often flew annoyingly out of reach and followed her with unyielding determination. Her one attempt to jump atop one of the creatures' backs and ride it to the canyon settlement ended in the harpy crashing into a rock and sending Tifa tumbling onto the ground, at which point a small nest of Sahagins had noticed her. Unlike most monsters, the Sahagins didn't attack with claws, fangs, beaks or magic. They fashioned spears out of rock. Naturalists often find it intriguing that a supposedly primitive and bestial species could form tools or weapons.

It wasn't intriguing how they made the things when staring at the sharp end of one about 5 inches away from your nose. They also hid inside their shells when faced with melee attacks. Fortunately, they suffered from the safe evolutionary fault that most variations on tortoises suffered: they couldn't move once turned on their back. To beat them, she first had to roll out of the way of the spears, and seeing as there were around ten of them, that was easier said than done.

She winced at the memories. Although there was no visible sign of an injury because of the restore materia she had managed to use in Cosmo Canyon, there was still a small remnant of pain for each would-be cut and bruise.

Gongaga hadn't been much easier. The whole forest seemed to be after her. Every vine's sole purpose in life was to make her fall flat on her face, or onto a poisonous beetle of some description. The place was as off the beaten track as you could get when coming from the Nibel ranges.

Perverts on public transport didn't help to ease her mind either.

She was just a small town girl, living in a lonely world _she took the midnight train going any-where… Damn Journey! That song's gonna be in my head for hours now._

"End of the line, Costa del Sol," announced the driver, causing Tifa to breath a sigh of relief. This leg of the journey had been easy so far. No monsters, no annoying plants, just some guy who _really _needed to get a life.

Stepping out into the hot sun made her glad that she had opted for less clothing. It was one of the places in the world where you could walk around town in swimwear and not be bothered for it.

"What do you mean, there's been complications?" she overheard a wheezy voice say when she got nearer to the harbor.

"Nothing serious. It just means that the ship to the Junon harbor is going to be delayed for a while. That is all," said another man. When Tifa got so she could see them, it turned out that there was a Shinra grunt and an old man in a sailor outfit. It was almost a cliché. Now all that was needed was an equally clichéd accent.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the… you-know-what at Midgar's little brother would it?" the old man said, raising his eyebrow.

"Sir?"

"Come on, you know that anti-Shinra protest groups are getting edgy, it's like they'er waiting for an opportunity or something."

"The fact that you know this information is a serious cause for your arrest, sir."

"I may be an old sea dog around these parts, but I still know which way the wind is blowing and when there's a thunderstorm a brewing. And I'm telling you, there's a big one coming right up."

"The weather reports would have notified us of a tropical storm, sir."

"Oy. It's a metaphor, sonny. Look it up." The old man walked away shaking his head, muttering "kids these days. Either they go looking for trouble or they make their own."

"Excuse me sir, but did you say that there are problems in Junon?" Tifa asked as she slowly approached the sailor.

"Huh? Well lassie, there be problems all around this rock, but she'll probably get the early warning lights. Big military place, Junon. I been there myself a couple of times. Didn't like it. I prefer the ports near the northern continent; the waters may be a little choppy, but at least when a girder drops it don't bring the whole port with it," the sailor rambled on.

"Umm… about Junon."

"Oh, sorry lass. Like I was saying, Junon is a big military place, see. Where better to attack for a rebel group trying to make a name for itself? Most of the Third Classes and MPs be stationed there and there's all that artillery just begging to be messed with. The big cannon could make one big splash. Why, you're not trying to cross the sea, be ye?"

"Well… I'm trying to get to Midgar, but I don't have enough money to fly there."

"Why didn't you say so? Too bad that there's no passenger trips while Shinra's personal armies are coming off from leave. It's them lot only for a few days." The sailor checked to see if there was anyone listening in on the conversation, then stared at the wall for a why to see if there was any visible bugs before lowering his voice and turning back to Tifa.

"This is just between you and me, but all that security they got down at the docks is just a big illusion. Slap on a Shinra sailor's uniform, and no one would look at you twice! Why I bet that… no. I think I've said too much," he finished, cutting himself off.

"Thanks."

"Better hurry up. The next 'trip' to Junon's gonna be leaving soon."

_So close, I hope he's okay, _Tifa thought to herself. The talk of anti-Shinra movements seemed to have a really foreboding sense about it

**And there we have it. See you next time and don't forget to review.  
**


	12. Lightbulb Goes Bing!

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea. Disguise materia is mine, too. SE didn't think that one up; I did.

**Queen's Quornor: **Y'all had better enjoy this and leave Amazon good reviews. We had one _hell _of a time getting it from her to me! And as usual, I only added the chapter name and minor grammatical corrections. Everything else is Amazon's. Give your praise to her, and give lots of it for the aforementioned reasons.

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A/N: And here we go!

Disclaimer: Kandi's mine. The rest belong to Squeenix, Queen, or Mystic.

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Lightbulb Goes Bing!

It was a good thing Zack had a private bathroom. Kandi could still hear him throwing up from her desk outside of his office, but at least it was less noticeable than it would have been if he had to leave his office every ten minutes to head to the men's restroom to hurl. He had told everyone he had contracted some mutated form of the flu, the virus having been exposed to Mako and thus explaining why he, Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class, was tossing his cookies like a sixth grader after one too many trips on the baddest rollar coaster at the Golden Saucer.

As she listened to the faint sounds of Zack's misery, Kandi was pondering their current situation. Now with Seph and Akalara also expecting, she felt the weight of protecting their unborn children even more than before. Sephiroth wasn't supposed to be able to procreate. The information in his file was one hundred percent positive. Shows just how smart that sick bastard is, she thought to herself with a smirk. But with the fact that Sephiroth's lover was now, indeed, pregnant, Hojo wouldn't think twice about slicing and dicing up her best friend to find out how the woman had conceived via his 'precious speciman' when all his research proved it to be an impossibility.

Currently, Kandi was hacked into the ShinRa financial database and purusing their transaction history. There was basic funding to Research and Development, the Weapons Division, the Construction Division, SOLDIER, the Science Department, Turks, etc. But then...there were the miscellaneous transactions. The way accounting tracked the funds was a pretty basic system. Each division in which funding was granted was clearly labeled so that anyone going over the books could see where the gil was going. The miscellaneous transactions were varied. They looked like business lunches or dinners, client entertainment purposes, and the like. But then, there were the 'donations' to the nonprofit organizations, like the Honey Scouts. Kandi knew without a doubt there was no such thing as a Honey Scout. Just to be sure, she did a Doogle search and came up empty. These 'donations' were automatic transfers from the ShinRa accounts to the 'Honey Scouts'. Kandi clicked on the account information and had to stifle a laugh when she read the numbers. She couldn't remember when she'd learned to hack into computers and fuck around with them without anyone knowing, but it had been way before she started at the Honey Bee Inn. And the account information listed for the 'Honey Scouts' was the same as her former workplace.

So, getting the small amounts of gil would be pretty easy and if she played it right, no one would suspect it. They would just think Old Man ShinRa had found another whore-house to frequent, or send his cronies to. Kandi just needed to come up with a new account number not associated with any of their expecting foursome, name it something suggestive yet obscure and _viola! _Gil. But the billion gil transfer was what was making her nervous. One thing she knew without a doubt was that electronic transactions could be traced, quickly and easily. If they relied on debit or credit cards, their locations would be discovered in no time and then it would be into the labs with her three best friends and into prison for her. They'd have to keep everything paper or coin. But to carry that much gil was dangerous. They needed a way to get gil quickly when they needed it without using any electronic media. ATM machines were out of the question. Debit cards and credit cards were a no-no. They would definitely pick up gil from monsters along the way, but they only dropped small amounts, and with Akalara and Zack expecting, fighting would need to be kept to a minimum. Kandi sighed and added Enemy Away materia to her list of things they would need.

Items could be sold and weapons too, if the need arose. But they needed all that. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she pulled up a site that not many people knew about. You had to be a member to get in and Kandi, though not a member, had a member's user ID and password memorized. Typing in the user ID tjames and the password 4jzv0329;4339, she gained access to the network of shopkeepers around the Planet, and a complete list of the items they accepted for purchase and the amount of gil they offered for said item. She clicked on the Weapons section and scrolled through there; nothing more than 64,0 gil. Items weren't much. Fivehundred for a tent is all. Then she hit the Materia section, scrolling through the list of crystallized Mako and their prices. She nearly choked on the drink she had taken when she saw the price a mastered All sold for: 1.4 MILLION gil.

Kandi sat back and stared at her screen. A mastered All got 1.4 million gil. And travelers sold unneeded materia all the time, so it wouldn't be suspicious if they stopped in and sold one. Kandi rubbed her chin as she started going over all the different types of slots in all the different weapons and accessories that were available, and their growth potentional. At triple growth, with increased encounters with monsters (she scribbled down Enemy Lure on her list, too), they could master an All, causing it to be reborn every 50 or so encounters, sell the mastered and start in on the new one. Fifty encounters was too long of a time. They needed more than just a triple growth slot.

Kandi grinned and logged out of the site she had been in and the ShinRa financial database. She needed to pay a visit to the Weapons Department.

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Cloud looked over at the empty desk in front of his friend's office, noting the 'Back in Fifteen Minutes' sign sitting on it. Zack's secretary hardly ever left her desk and yet, she wasn't there. Shrugging, he knocked on Zack's door hesitantly.

"What?" came Zack's groggy voice.

"Um...it's Cloud," the blond stated softly. "You wanted to see me?"

Cloud heard Zack moving around and then the door unlocking and opening. "Come on in," the black-haired man said with a tired smile.

The blond looked at his friend skeptically as he stepped inside the dark office. Zack closed and locked the door then laid back down on his couch, pulling a blanket up over him. "You're not...contagious, are you?" Cloud asked, settling down in a chair across from Zack.

Zack chuckled and shook his head. "Trust me, Cloud," he said. "There ain't no way you can catch what I got. No worries."

Cloud visibly relaxed at that. "So, what's up?" he asked. "What did you want to see me for?"

"I have a favor to ask you," Zack said, sitting up a bit and sipping on a 6up he'd been nursing all morning. "But first, I think I need to explain something."

"Okay."

"You know my secretary, Kandi, right?" Zack asked. "Hot little number, ex-Honey Bee, one of my best friends and my sure thing fuck-buddy?"

Cloud grinned and blushed slightly. "Yeah," he answered. "What about her?"

"Well, like I said, she's one of my best friends and I love her as such, so she asked me to do something for her and I did it," Zack told him.

"Okay."

"Remember the Green Sludge?"

Cloud arched a pale eyebrow. "Uh, yeah," he answered. "Thank the gods I didn't eat any of it."

Zack laughed. "Me and Seph did," he said. "But that's a different story. Thing is, Kandi got a hold of the stuff and the antie and asked me to try it with her so we could...you know."

Cloud's blue eyes widened when what Zack said fully hit him. "Nuh uh!" he exclaimed. "No way! Did you really?!"

"Yep."

Cloud's face was a combination of shock, amusement, awe, and curiosity. "So...what was it...like?" he asked softly.

Zack grinned. "Cloud," he stated in mock surprise. "Are you wondering what it's like to be fucked?"

Cloud threw a magazine at him. "Shut up," he said, blushing. "Just curious."

Zack shook his head and chuckled. "It wasn't half bad," he said. "Actually, felt pretty damn good. We switched back and reaffirmed my masculinity for the rest of the night, though."

Cloud laughed at that. "Nice," he said. "So, does this little sexual escapade have a point or are you just bragging about banging your secretary?"

"Definitely has a point," Zack mumbled. He looked up into his friend's eyes. "That night...I got pregnant. That's why I'm so sick. It's morning sickness. Dr. Quorra confirmed it."

Cloud's mouth dropped open and his face paled. "W-what?" he stammered in a whisper.

"I'm pregnant," he replied. "Please don't freak. You've been in ShinRa long enough to know that fucked up things happen here."

"But...this is just...really fucked up!" Cloud exclaimed. He studied the black-haired SOLDIER. "You're certain?"

"Yeah."

"Wow," he said. "I mean, congratulations, I guess, but wow."

"Thanks, I think," Zack replied with a laugh.

"So, am I supposed to throw you a baby shower or something?" Cloud asked, confusion on his face. "I mean, is that why you asked me in here?"

"No one else can know about this, Cloud," Zack told him, leaning forward a bit. "If Hojo finds out, I'll be in the labs in a heartbeat. He'll cut me open and this baby won't stand a chance. Kandi and I...we'll be leaving in a few months. Going on the run. We have to protect our kid, you know?"

"What?!" Cloud nearly shouted. "Dude, that sucks! You can't leave! What would I do without you here? You're...you're like, everything I want to be, Zack."

Zack smiled and stood up, pulling the other man up into a hug. "Thanks, Cloud," he said quietly. "Might just be the hormones, but that means a lot to me." Cloud returned the hug and nodded. Zack stepped back and studied the other male. "I asked you here, because...I need you to come with us. For protection."

"Me?" Cloud asked. "But I'm just a scrawny-"

"You have the potential to be the best, Cloud," Zack told him sternly. "I know your dream is to be in SOLDIER. And if you say no, I won't try to convince you otherwise. But there's going to come a time when I can't fight. I'll be too pregnant. Kandi's going to learn to shoot a gun, but we really need a sword fighter with us. Kandi's the one who suggested you. And I agree. We both see great potential in you."

Cloud blushed at the praise. "But, I still have a lot of training to go through," he said softly.

"I'll keep training you, if you come," Zack promised. "And we'll continue here until we have to leave. But the choice is yours, Cloud."

The blond nodded. He looked up at his black haired friend. "Can I...have some time to think about it?" he asked.

Zack nodded. "Yeah, sure," he answered. "We've still got a few months before I start noticably showing. But do what's right for you, Cloud, okay? And don't tell anyone else."

Cloud smiled and nodded in return. "I won't," he answered. "Thanks for believing in me this much, Zack. It really means a lot."

Zack smiled. "No problem, Cloud."

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A/N: (licks Cloud) Oh...sorry. He's just so cute in Crisis Core...you know, before he got all emo and angsty? Yeah. (continues licking Cloud).

Cloud: MOLESTATION! HELP!


	13. Metal Gear Lockhart Pt 1

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor: **Maniac's turn! Same deal as with Amazon's chapters, but I didn't come up with the title here.

**Metal Gear Lockheart Part 1**

**My third chapter here. Lets hurry on before I make (more) obscure music references. I've already made a video game reference in the title, what's next? Scrubs Jokes?**

**Disclaimer: You should all know the drill by now, and if you don't… then read previous chapters.**

**A/N: Is it just me or is it ironic that although I have already written four stories in this ficverse (the semi-canon one, not this AU) that my only OC contribution is a giant spider named Sir Bigglesworth, or Spider-roth in the out-take reels.**

**--**

_Okay, from now on. No stowing away on a Shinra boat. Never again, _Tifa thought to herself. It had all gone so well since arriving at Costa del Sol. She had successfully boarded the ship to Junon and it was only a few hours until it reached its destination.

Which was probably at this point a godsend, seeing as she was stuck in an awkward position trying to evade patrols from any Shinra guards who just so inconveniently happened to be patrolling the cargo bays. There were about 6 guards down below deck and probably more above it. The network of steel crates formed corridors for them to patrol. Cameras were installed as well. _Just in case someone really needs to get to Midgar and this is the next ship. There wouldn't be this much security if the President was on-board._

"This is Unit Alpha 3, all clear… But sir, it's my job to say that… Understood…Is this going to come out of my wages sir?... Shutting up now." The grunt sighed; he wondered why he took this mission, it's not like they were exactly short-handed for this. Ever since the Nieblhiem mission got cancelled, Cloud had gotten stationed back at HQ in Midgar while he, being the contact that was supposed to meet them at Costa del Sol, got lumbered with 'escorting' (with finger quotes) 'the package' when the other personnel who were coming off from leave couldn't help because they were determined to go to that keg party on the beach. A party _he_ had been invited to.

_Well, at least my day can't get much worse than this,_ he thought to himself. At least it was quiet.

Important word being _was_.

"Huh?" He started to walk over to where Tifa was hiding. In the gap between the hull and one of the crates. "Anyone there?" he asked.

_Shit! _Tifa cursed mentally. She had to think fast; if she was caught stowing away, she could be thrown in jail. Or worse. She'd heard stories about people in the navy and didn't want to risk finding out that they were true.

"Hello?"

_Please don't look this way, please don't look this way…_

"Anyone…" His (quite frankly) weak attempts at revealing an intruder was cut short as the whole boat shuddered. Since he was closer, Tifa could actually hear the other half of the conversation now. "The heck?"

"_Calling all personnel, tranquilizers wearing off. Package is acting wildly, requesting assistance."_

The cadet quickly picked himself up and rushed towards the centre of the boat. Trying not to fall over as the boat rocked back and forth. Consequently spilling Tifa out of her hiding spot.

--

"What's going on here?" one of the cadets asked, once they had surrounded a large, black painted crate that was currently shaking violently.

"I'll tell you what. Someone switched the tranquilizer feed with Hyper water and now the thing's gone nuts. We've tried gas grenades but they just ain't working. Good thing the crate's held up for so long," the commander of the group told them.

"So what do you want us to do?" another MP asked.

"Find some tranquilizers, open it up, then let it have it."

"But isn't that a bit dangerous…"

"So you'd just let it run rampant in there? Look, if we can stun it with flash bangs beforehand we won't have to kill it."

"Yes sir."

"Good." The commanding 3rd class officer's attention shifted back to the cage, and more specifically to one of the SOLDIERs who was meddling with the electronic lock. "YOU! I SAID WAIT UNTIL WE PREP THE FLASH BANGS AND THE TRANQUILIZERS! LET IT OUT NOW AND WE'LL ALL BE SUNK!" he shouted.

"Heheh. What makes you think I don't know what I'm doing, _sir_?" The last word was practically spat out, causing the third class in question to raise his sword.

"You're no member of ShinRa. Who are you?"

"The name's Darkstar. Biggs Darkstar. Now good-bye and good riddance to ShinRa scum. _**Escape**_**.**" The impostor cast the spell. As soon as the third class got in range to strike, he was already gone, teleported by magic most likely back to the safety of Costa del Sol.

"Shit!" the third class cursed as his sword collided with the lock mechanism. The machine blew a fuse and the lock clicked open revealing a very large, and very angry, big tank.

--

**Cliff hanger! I am evil sometimes, now is Biggs the fat one or the thin one? I get confused between the two. The only one I can remember the appearance of is Jesse.**


	14. Chatting about Seph's Ass

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor: **This is my chapter, and it follows the discussion presented in my last one (which began with Amazon's chapter-before-last). So basically, Reno's answering the phone at roughly nine-thirty the next day. Also, Infernia's a band I came up with. They're something between Disturbed, Rob Zombie, and Scar Symmetry; basically your typical screaming-death-metal band. Admittedly, this is just a filler chapter. The ball will continue to roll with Seph&Ak in my next chapter. However, at the moment, I have a chapter from Amazon to post first.

Chatting about Seph's Ass

"So you can keep this on the low, right Reno?"

_"No problem, Ak! I know how important it is to keep Hojo outta the loop on this,"_ the redheaded Turk reassured. _"He was a little too interested in Axys when she was born, and she's not even mako-enhanced like your kid will be."_

Akalara winced. "He didn't do anything to her or Christine, did he?"

_"Naw. He got distracted by something else and forgot about her."_ The volume on Reno's stereo went up then, and the green-haired trainee grinned. Reno had lectured her on the effectiveness of music as a white-noise substitute, especially heavy metal, when it came to blocking evesdroppers and bugs. And since he was playing Infernia right now, it would be a miracle if anybody could hear Reno's half of the conversation over the deep-voiced singing/screaming, screeching guitar riffs, and the pounding boom-boom-boom of the drums. _"Just to let you know, Ak, I'm torn between congratulating you and turning green with jealousy."_

"Over me being pregnant?"

There was a loud _thump_, probably from Reno putting his feet up on his desk or something. _"Ak, if I know Seph, he'll marry you sooner or later. And in the meantime, he'll be faithful. He's the type of guy that would never even dream of cheating on the woman he loves. And now that you've got his bun in your oven, it's pretty much a done deal. You might as well start introducing yourself as 'Mrs. Sephiroth', 'cause there's no way he'll let you go now."_

"Reno, being tied to him forever is like a dream come true." Akalara leaned back in her chair and rested one hand atop her slim belly, watching her silver-haired love practicing with Masamune behind the inn outside. Sephiroth, shirtless and sweaty, his long hair swirling around his body like a metallic cloak and his sword gleaming as it cut through the air. Drool. "You know how bad things were for me before I met him. I would never have dared hope something like this could ever happen to somebody like me."

_"I really think you deserve it, Ak. And if I'm not one of the ushers at your wedding, I'm kicking Seph's ass."_

Akalara couldn't surpress the snort that erupted at that comment. "Reno, you and I both know that is one thing that is never, ever going to happen."

_"Well, I can't kick a pregnant girl's ass. So that means I've gotta kick her man's ass. In this case, that would be Sephiroth," _the Turk remarked casually._ "So unless you want me to be bed-ridden for about a month, I'd better be up at the altar behind Zack."_

"Aren't you more concerned with being our kid's uncle or something? I mean, a wedding only lasts a short while. Being named an uncle or godfather or whatever lasts a lifetime." The green-haired teen leaned forward a little, cranberry eyes glued to her love as he spun, slashing his lengthy katana at invisible opponents. Maybe she was biased, but it seemed to her that nobody on the Planet could possibly match Sephiroth for sheer fluidity of swordplay.

"_All of you are Axys' godparents. I'd expect the same in return. But yeah, I want to be up at the altar with you and Seph. Just to keep the happy couple together if one of you gets cold feet."_ Reno snickered then. _"Besides, it might be my last chance to look at Seph's ass. He's going to have to wear a tux, after all. No long-ass coat to hide it with."_

"You can look all you want. Just don't touch," Akalara warned playfully, her gaze raking over the body part in question. "That perfect ass belongs to me now."

"_To my eternal regret. Even worse, I can't grope your fine ass anymore, either. Seph would pull my spleen out via my nostrils if I do." _

The trainee smirked, hearing a definite pout in her friend's voice. "That's actually a nice thing. Your hands are cold, Reno."

_"Chris never complained."_

"Chris was too busy with your spawn to complain about those ice blocks you call hands." Sephiroth was beginning to draw an audience; three of the local teenage teeny-boppers and two juvenile man-boys had gathered at a respectful distance, just oggling him while he fought the air. "That said, you won't get to be an usher for a while, Red. Seph and I don't want to give anybody a reason to get suspicious, so no exchanging of vows until after we hit the road."

"_You realize that people are going to get suspicious anyway when you start resembling an elfadunk with a gland problem, right?"_

"Reno, if I was in your office right now, I'd hit you." Akalara felt her mood turn as green as her hair. Sephiroth had finished his morning routine and was attempting to toweling off, a rather difficult task since he was currently mobbed by sparkly-eyed fans. "I tell you what. Just keep tabs on the lab, tell us if Hojo starts suspecting something or anything like that, and you get to be an usher. Deal?"

_"Deal, Ak."_

"I'll talk to you later, Reno. I have some fangirls to deal with right now."

Reno laughed at that. "_It won't be the first time, Ak. You're in deep with the most recognizable man on the Planet; you'll have to fight them off every time he sets foot outside."_

Akalara rolled her eyes and got to her feet, stalking over to the door. "I'll just have to make sure he never sets foot outside, then, won't I?"


	15. Metal Gear Lockhart Pt 2

**Metal Gear Lockheart part 2**

**Hey, I know its been a long time coming and its probably held up the entire collaboration but better late than never right?**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Sir Bigglesworth. Who won't be appearing in this fic anyway so… yeah…**

**--**

"Oh Frick."

"Frick? What kind of a word is that? Say 'shit' or 'fuck' like a normal person, would you?"

"Would you two shut up and shoot?!"

The bullets didn't do much against the Tank's near-impenetrable hide; they only served to enrage the monster further. It sped out of its containment after bashing against the sides, lowering its head in an attempt to gore the troop.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" The MPs scattered as the beast from Gongaga collided with numerous steel crates. The horn penetrated the metal and the doors were destroyed by the impact, sending both the crate and its contents everywhere.

Meanwhile, Tifa was having to climb to save her life. The impact had dislodged all the crates, and some of them were sliding together, almost squashing her.

_Whose idea was it to come by boat? Oh right. Mine._

The Tank was now ramming against more containers, trying to make some room to manuever so it could perform its wheelie attack. It had already crushed the legs of one poor cadet who hadn't gotten out of the way in time.

"What's the status on those tranquilizers?"

"Bad news sir! The crate with the tranquilizers has been knocked over. I don't know how long it's going to take to get to them!"

"All right, looks like I'm doing this the old-fashioned way," the Third Class said, prepping a grenade. "Hey Fatty! You hungry?" The monster turned around and roared at the SOLDIER, it took particular offense to being called fat. It was a big-boned species. "Eat up then!" he shouted throwing a grenade at the Big Tank's mouth. However, instead of being swallowed and exploding inside of it, the grenade hit the monster in the eye and exploded.

To say it really got out of hand then was an understatement. Blinded, the thing charged in every direction, swinging its tail at everything that moved. It managed to scatter crates across the boat sending the cargo of materia, potions, and ammunition across the floor.

"Oh shit!" Tifa said as the containers around her toppled over. Thinking fast, she managed to get out of the way of the first collapse and use the pile of steel to climb up to the top so that she could A) see what was going on and B) not be at the bottom of any more pile ups.

--

The monster continued its rampage and was now bashing against the side of the ship in a desperate attempt for freedom. It had been worn down slightly by the battle against the guards but could still move just as fast.

"Now what, sir? Nothing we do seems effective against it."

The third class quickly scouted the area. What was it they told him? Something about certain materia being able to put people to sleep... "The materia! One of them must be able to cast a sleep spell or at the very least slow it down without frying the rest of us."

"Which one's which, though?"

"I don't know. Whichever one feels like a sleep spell. All I know is that it's green."

"Hey, I think I found one! Come on, you piece of junk! Work!" one of the MPs shouted, throwing the orb to the floor where it froze his foot.

"That's an ice materia, Collins."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"What was that?!"

"Nothing, sir."

--

Tifa saw what the problem was and her jaw dropped. She had heard of Big Tanks from the people in Gongaga; they were supposed to be a problem even to First Class Soldiers, anything else required a large group to help take them out. Not good since she didn't know if there were any on board.

Unfortunately, the only way out to the deck was through the main area which contained the rampaging brute, and the way things were going, she highly doubted that the ship would make it to Junon without taking a detour to the bottom of the ocean. She would have to help stop it, but how to do that without being discovered?

Then it hit her, or more likely rolled against her foot. Materia, similar to the stuff they sold at Cosmo Canyon. It could be used to put monsters to sleep. She just had to get in range. However close that was.

Jumping from crate to crate wasn't much harder than negotiating the rocky cliffs in the canyon. Although some of them shuddered with each slam into the side of the ship by the beast, she got to the point where the only thing between here and the group of Shinra personnel and the monster was one row of crates. Hoping that this was close enough she held the orb in both hands, pressed it to her heart and hoped, no, _prayed _that this would work.

"_**Sleepel." **_

The effect was not instantaneous; the monster's movements began to slow, its eyes started to close as it collapsed into a light sleep centre of the hold.

"Okay, promotion to whoever cast that," the commanding member of SOLDIER said, trying to get to his feet.

"Before we all get demoted, you mean."

"We'll lose all our wages for this."

"Come on, at least we got a name," the overly cheery (there's one in every group) cadet said.

"Idiot. Biggs Darkstar is a character in the movie series _Space Conflict_. For all it told us he might of well had said 'Rick James, bitch'!" the Third Class scolded the MP. No doubt the blame would fall on his head, he being the commanding officer. He was not looking forward to when Sephiroth came off from leave.

--

'**Blooming heck that one was hard to do. Maybe I should stay away from the action sequences for now. Currently in a bad mood caused by a certain sub-par Indiana Jones film (sub-par for Indy that is). It just can't hold a candle to the original trilogy (Sigh). Review please.**

**--**

**Queen's Quornor: **This is at the bottom because I couldn't get the thing in at the top, for whatever strange reason. I really miss my own computer. But it's currently in storage one state over, so I have to live with this slow, fucked up piece of crap for three months. I know I skipped between scenes between the two parts of Maniac's current storyline, but they all took place in basically the same time as each other (I think...). I'll try not to do that again, but no guarantees. However, I am so happy Maniac sent me this one. He seems to have already berated himself, and I'm not going to do that to a friend. But now we can move ahead in the story! Amazon, you're up next!


	16. Cheating With Materia!

**Queen's Quornor: **Okay, here's Amazon's next chappie. As usual, grammatical corrections are the only things I have done to it, and the title. Thankfully, we didn't have any problems getting this chapter from her to me this time.

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_**A/N: I am in the mood to write! I just updated O:A and the Muses are still tickling me. Bask in it! They've been in a dry spell for a while!**_

_**Disclaimer: We own nothing but our respective OC's and insanity.**_

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Cheating…With Materia!

Zack peered out of his office to his secretary's desk as the work day was drawing to a close. Empty. It was getting to become a regular occurrence to find the desk devoid of the red-streaked woman. Usually, she only left during scheduled breaks or to get him something he required. Now, it seemed like every time he stepped out or tried to call her, she was gone.

And she was spending a lot of time away from her apartment. He had pretty much moved in with her after they found out he was pregnant. Usually they would leave work together and go to her place, either picking up something to eat before heading home or Kandi fixing something once they got there. Now, he found himself eating alone and going home alone, to be joined by her early in the morning, if at all.

He knew what they were to each other. He knew they were best friends who had become lovers and were now expecting a child together. They did not have an actual romantic relationship, so for him to expect her to spend her free time with him was too much to ask. But considering that he, a _male _and her _boss_, was carrying _her _child...was it really?

Zack bit his lip as those stupid hormones started raging again and he felt tears coming to his eyes. This totally sucked. He was starting to cry like a little girl over that fact that his friend who had knocked him up wasn't spending every waking minute doting over him. Sniffing, he grabbed a tissue and blew his nose, wiping his eyes afterwards. It looked like he'd be heading home alone again.

"Zack?"

The black haired SOLDIER turned and smiled at the blond cadet regarding him thoughtfully. "Hey Cloud," he answered, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.

"You okay?" the boy asked.

Zack nodded but burst into tears anyway. Cloud looked around, blushing slightly, not knowing what to do. He was bad enough with emotional girls; he definitely couldn't handle emotional SOLDIER First Class. Timidly, he walked up to Zack and guided him into his office, shutting the door. Zack threw himself in Cloud's arms and cried on his shoulder.

"This is so fucking stupid!" he growled through his tears. "I'm a guy. I'm not supposed to cry like a little bitch!"

Cloud just patted his back awkwardly. "Um...there, there?" he offered. "It'll be okay?"

"Cloud, just shut up and hit me," Zack ordered.

"Huh?"

Zack stepped back and spread his arms out. "Hit me!" he ordered again. "Deck me, right in the face. Tell me to suck it up and be a man!"

"But...Zack...I mean...you're..."

"HIT ME!"

Cloud, not one to ignore a direct order from a commanding officer, reared back and clocked Zack right in the jaw. "Quit your sniveling, you whiny little bitch!" he snarled. "Suck it up and find your dick! You're acting like a tampon wearing cocksucker! Now, quit being a pussy and retrieve your balls, SOLDIER!"

Zack rubbed his jaw and grinned. "Damn, Cloud," he said, snapping the joint back into place. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Cloud blushed again. "Yeah, sorry," he said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Did I hurt you?"

Zack clapped him on the shoulder. "Yeah, and I needed it," he answered. "Thanks, man."

"Yeah, sure," he replied. "Any...time?"

Zack laughed and plopped down on his couch. "So what brings you here, Spike?" he asked. "I figured you'd be back in your quarters trying to start your tenth letter to that chick back in Nibelheim."

"Tifa," Cloud said softly. "No. I mean...I can't find the words to write her. But, yeah, I'm here because I've decided."

"Oh?" Zack asked, leaning forward. "Okay."

Cloud smiled. "I'd like to come with you guys if you still want me to," he told him. "I figure I can learn more from you on the run than here without you. Besides, better to help your friends anyway, right?"

Zack grinned and leapt up, giving the other male a huge bear hug. "Thanks, Man!" he exclaimed. "That's just awesome! And because of this, I won't make you get me a baby shower gift!"

Cloud laughed and slugged Zack in the arm affectionately. "Yeah, yeah," he said. "Don't go getting all sappy on me, you girl. Speaking of which, where is your girl? I haven't seen her around here a lot."

"Me either, Spike," Zack answered with a sigh. "She takes off a lot and comes home late, if she even comes home."

"She's not cheating on you, is she?" Cloud asked. "I mean, that's low. You're fucking pregnant, dude. And that was the weirdest sentence in the history of the Planet."

Zack managed to laugh as he fought back tears. "Yeah, let's not talk about that, huh?" he said. "That's what I was crying about earlier."

Cloud opened the door and went over to Kandi's desk. "Well, her purse is still here," he said, grabbing the black leather bag. "Let's just...find her and take it to her."

Zack grinned. "You little sneak," he said, clapping his shoulder again. "Okay. Let's find her."

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"Come on, you little rat bastard," Kandi grumbled as she used the soddering tool to connect the two pieces of metal. "Just a little bit more...there! Yeah, bitch! Who's your mama?"

Blowing on the piece of metal in her hands to cool it down, Kandi removed her safety goggles and grabbed the two pieces of new materia she had 'borrowed' from the SOLDIER materia stash and inserted them into the bangle. She hit the button for the simulation chamber and entered inside.

"Now, let's see if this works," she said to herself. "Begin simulation."

Kandi watched as the round training robots started toward her. She cast the Lightening magic at them, the spell weak with the first hit from the unused materia. The second hit was significantly stronger, as was the third and fourth. By the fifth cast, two new materia shot out of the bangle, the two inside mastered.

"Fuckin' A, yes!" she shrieked, casting Lightening at everything the simulation shot at her. Whooping at the top of her lungs, she jumped up and down, laughing maniacally as every fifth spell cast yielded two more materia; a Lightening...and an All.

Suddenly, the simulation ended and she was staring at the blank walls of the chamber. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "What gives?"

"This chamber is reserved for SOLDIER personnel only," came a familiar voice. "You are not permitted to be here."

Kandi spun and grinned at Zack and Cloud. "Zacky!" she shrieked in joy, running to him and leaping into his arms. She kissed him fiercely on the lips. "Oh my gods, you are never going to believe what I did!"

Cloud snickered. "I don't think she's cheating on you," he said, heading over and checking out the materia on the floor. "Where did all these come from?"

Kandi looked at Zack oddly. "Cheating on you?" she asked. She grinned. "Ah, you were wondering where I was and _you _thought..."

"Shut up," Zack grumbled, pushing her away and going over to Cloud and taking an All. "What were you doing?"

Kandi laughed softly and linked her fingers through his. "I am a genius," she said with a grin.

"Like Hojo?" Cloud teased.

"I said 'genius', not demented greasy bastard," she snapped. She looked at Zack. "Does he...?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah, he knows and he's decided to come with us," he answered her partially asked question. "Not that you would know, since you've been MIA."

"Dude, I was helping our financial cause!" she protested. "Do you have any fucking clue how hard it would be for--wait a second. We can't talk here. Surveillance and shit. Let's go get something to eat and I'll fill you in."

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"Okay, so what have you been doing that caused you to leave Zack and make him cry like a whiney bitch kitten?" Cloud asked with a grin as he stuffed a piece of hibachi shrimp in his mouth.

Kandi laughed. "You cried?" she asked.

"No," Zack protested, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He did," Cloud offered.

"Hey Spike, I suggest you shut up until you can grow the nads to tell your crush of 1,000 years that you like her, okay?" Zack snapped. He turned his gaze to Kandi. "What have you been doing?"

"Okay, you know how when we all kick it outta here, we're gonna need a shitload of gil, yeah?" she began. "So, I mean, that's like pretty near impossible to get that out without detection. I hacked the ShinRa financial database and tried to figure out how to do it. Smaller amounts, no problem; the billion gil, so not happening."

Cloud choked on a piece of zucchini. "A billion?!" he exclaimed.

"Cloud, shut up and drink your sake," Kandi said, sliding a glass over to the blond. "You so totally are lacking in subtlety."

"Okay, so what were you doing zapping the shit outta those little robot things?" Zack asked, taking Cloud's sake away from him. "Don't overdo it, Spike."

Cloud pouted and stole a piece of Zack's shrimp as Kandi continued.

"Well, I started thinking we could sell shit on the road to get gil since people do that all the time while traveling, right?" she asked. The men nodded. "There's this exclusive site online that I know about, lists all the prices shop keepers take for items, weapons, materia, whatever." She lowered her voice and leaned forward. "A mastered All goes for 1.4 million gil."

"Damn," Cloud whispered. "That's a lot!"

"I know, right?" she said with a grin. "The only problem, with only the max of triple growth in weapons, armor and accessories, that would take, like, fifty uses to master. So," she slid the bangle off her wrist. "I've been making this baby."

Zack examined the piece of armor. "Two slots," he said. "What's the growth?"

"One hundred times," Kandi smirked.

Cloud choked on his sake this time. "What?" he asked after Zack slapped him on the back. "Where did you find that?"

"I didn't find it," Kandi said, snatching it back. "I modified it. It was actually pretty simple once I opened it up and looked at it. It only had a single growth, so I just soddered a couple places, added a few pieces of highly conductive metal and bam. One hundred times growth. Use that baby five times and you have a mastered materia that spawns a new one. I figured I'd make one for everyone and we'd be set for gil."

Zack's eyes filled with tears and he looked down at his plate. "So, you were doing this for us?" he asked softly.

Kandi took his hand and leaned forward, kissing him gently. "Yeah," she answered. "For all of us, so we can be okay once we leave. But mostly, Zack, I did it for you so we can go and Hojo will never get his hands on you and our baby."

Zack sniffed and wiped his eyes on the napkin. Cloud gave him a crooked smile. "Do you need me to hit you again, you whiney little bitch?" he snickered.

Kandi glared at the blond and stood up. "If you so much as lay a fucking hand on him, I will rip your balls out from your nose, got it, Blondie?" she snarled.

Cloud paled and picked up his chopsticks, looking down at his plate. "Dude," he whispered. "She's fucking scary."

Zack grinned. "I know," he answered. "Isn't she the coolest?"

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_**A/N: Poor Zack and the hormones! I am drawing on my own pregnancy experience here. You really do get that bad. The slightest thing makes you cry. Seriously messed up stuff, Man.**_


	17. And on the Flip Side

**Queen's Quornor: **Here's Maniac's next chapter. There wasn't another chapter from me because I have a slight problem with writer's block at the moment, but hopefully that shall be remedied soon. Ak and Seph can't stay in Wutai forever, after all... Chapter title's mine, but everything else is his.

--

**Another chapter, hopefully I haven't been holding the story up too much this time. A slight change in perspective however. To tell you who too soon would spoil the surprise… which is revealed a few paragraphs down.**

**Disclaimer: Still own Jack shit.**

**--**

And on the Flip Side...

Under the Junon plate, there was what remained of a small fishing village. The mako reactor and port had polluted the waters, meaning very few fish actually survived in the water, and there were rumours of a monster circling the high voltage tower that led down to the underwater reactor. This was all common knowledge. The people down below weren't in uprising about it and, despite Junon being a military base, the lower areas were generally peaceful.

Except in the basement of the weapons store.

Down below, computers whirred, collecting info about any Shinra activity both in the public eye and in secret.

It was also being used for an experiment with materia, exit materia.

The AVALANCHE Junon hideout was cleared out apart from 2 of its most important members: Wedge and Jessie.

"So Jess. You sure about that materia? Because if not… we've… you know… Biggs," Wedge said nervously, wearing a dirty white t-shirt, blue jeans and a red bandana.

"Oh, stop worrying. I've done all of the calculations; as long as the return point is set here, which it is," Jessie added in response to the expression on Wedge's face, "and the amplifier I made is working fine - which it will unless Biggs messed with it - he'll return here after 1 minute of the initial spell being cast."

"Jess…"

"What?!"

"He should have activated it hours ago. The ship left Costa del Sol at 1500 hours and it's now 0200 the next day. That's 11 hours on a 13 hour trip. He should be here by now."

"Just wait. He'll be here."

"You sure?"

"YES I'M FUCKING SURE!" she screamed, her eyes determined, or delusional.

"Okay…" Wedge said, backing away slowly. The phone on the wall started to ring, catching them both off-guard. Only a few people knew the number and the three of them, Jessie, Wedge and Biggs, had done their best to keep it a secret.

"Hello?"

"_Jessie! When I get my hands on you for this I'm gonna…" _Biggs started angrily on the other end of the phone line.

"Biggs! You're okay! See, Wedge? I told you it would work," Jessie said, letting relief wash over her.

"_No thanks to that materia anyway. I'm in fucking Kalm!" _Biggs grumbled. Wedge could imagine him sending her death stares via the phone. Jesse seemed to be immune to them.

"Kalm? How did that happen? You're not in trouble or anything are you?"

"_I don't think so. I ended up in an alley being chased by a huge dog. I didn't join AVALANCHE to be chased like a mailman!"_

"Well, that's good. Still don't know how you wound up there, I set everything up. I… oops."

"_Oops what? What was the oops for Jessie? Jessie!"_

"Umm… nothing Biggs. I'll see you soon then."

"_See me soon? I have to cross a freaking mar-" _click. Jessie hung up.

"So what was the oops for, Jessie?" Wedge asked as the brunette sat back down to her computer.

"Didn't proofread it," she said with a sheepish grin on her face. "Forgot that any other large quantities of exit materia would throw him off course. So he ended up by the materia shop."

"That's a very big oops. He could have ended up in Midgar's materia storage for SOLDIER."

"No, he wouldn't have. Shinra doesn't stock exit materia. If they come up against anything stronger than them they'll just…" She sighed as she held a small locket out of sight from Wedge. "...throw more cannon fodder at it. Anyway, I've checked the storage database, couldn't do it for long though. Someone else was accessing the system."

"Anti-hackers?" Wedge asked.

"No, whoever it was checking out the accounts and transactions. Finance. Since the two were linked I would have risked being caught."

"Okay…"

"But whoever it was went on the merchants database and looked at sale prices. Weapons, items, and materia. Whoever it was was after cash or a way to get a lot of it. I traced the user and it came from Shinra HQ, but apart from that... Zilch."

"Conspiracy theory?"

"Don't know. Could be a SOLDIER or a Turk about to go AWOL," she suggested. "Or another resistance group. Whatever or whoever it was, they're skilled. It was only a coincidence that I found them."

"Could you keep an eye on it then?"

"Do bears shit in the woods?"

"Yeah… But how is that gonna keep an eye on Shinra?" Wedge asked, no one could look perplexed like him.

"It's an expression. Gods, I hate being the smart one here," Jessie grumbled before typing something into her keyboard.

--

Biggs walked through the streets of Kalm, thinking of insults he could throw at Jessie for messing up his escape from the boat, and how he was supposed to get back. Travelling by foot meant going over the Midgar marsh where the Zolom lived. Suicide. By boat meant arriving at Upper Junon, where the guards would have probably been on full alert since his little stunt. Maybe telling them his name was not a good idea, 'Rick James, bitch!' would have been a lot better. So that was out. He's have to hike it to the chocobo stables.

_Jessie, when I get back to Junon, I am _so_ getting you back for this._

_--_

**More original AVALANCHE. And if you can see where this is going, then gold star and smiley face sticker for you and I'll get back to Tifa's perspective soon enough.  
Don't forget to review now.  
**


	18. Chicks that Pack!

**Queen's Quornor: **I'll have something on the Wutai front soon! Just a problem of when, exactly... Anyway, here's Amazon's latest. As you all can guess, I have created the chapter title. All else is Amazon's brainchild. Enjoy!

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_**A/N: More preparations. A girl's gotta defend the mother of her child, right?**_

_**Disclaimer: Really? I mean, seriously? (sigh) We don't own it!**_

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Chicks that Pack!

"So, I hear congratulations are in order, eh Daddy?" the red-head sneered as he handed her a set of protective ear covers.

Kandi grinned. "Guess Zack told ya, huh?" she asked, adjusting the ear covers so they would fit her head.

"Yeah, I made him," Reno answered, grabbing a firearm from the Turk supply cabinet. "I refused to teach you to shoot until he explained why."

"Sneaky bastard," Kandi grumbled good-naturedly.

Reno shrugged. "Hey, I'm a Turk," he replied. "Interrogation is one of our specialties." He handed her a pistol and a clip of rounds. "This is a 9mm. Pretty easy to shoot, good for beginners. Not much of a kick while firing, but packs a bitching punch if you get hit with one."

Kandi examined the gun and proceeded to take it apart.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the red-haired assassin exclaimed, taking the semi-unassembled gun from her hands. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing how it works," she answered, snatching it back. "How do you think I got so good at computer and electronic shit, Reno? I sure as fuck didn't go to college for it."

Reno watched with a worried expression as she continued taking the firearm apart. "Man, if you break it, Tseng'll have my ass."

"Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Kandi snickered as she worked.

Reno huffed. "Well, you and Akalara took my occasional fuck-buddies away from me," he pouted. "I gotta get my man action somewhere."

"You mean 'rape victims'," she said with a malicious grin.

"Whatever, they were great drunk and you bitches took them from me."

"What about your partner?" Kandi asked. "I mean, he could be your _partner _in more ways than one."

"Yeah, no," Reno said, shaking his head. "Sorry, but Rude is not a passenger on the bi-plane, know what I mean?"

"Uh, yeah I do and thanks for the lame explanation," the red-streaked woman laughed. "Too bad, though. I thought he was pretty hot."

"Interesting, he said the same about you," Reno sneered.

Kandi blushed. "Really?" she asked. She shook her head and shoved his shoulder. "Whatever, ReRe-chan. He was probably talking about someone else."

"No, it was you," he answered, leaning casually against the wall. "Remember when we met you and Ak at that little cafe on you guys' afternoon off?"

"Yeah, and I made a complete ass outta myself checking out my reflection in his sunglasses," she replied. "How the hell could I forget?"

"That's the most Rude has ever talked to anyone, male or female, EVER, in the history of the Planet," Reno explained. "My boy Rude's gotta a thang for you."

Kandi rolled her eyes and she finished reassembling the gun. "Reno, quit being a dick," she said. "Even if he did, I'm with Zack now. We're having a baby."

Reno arched a red-eyebrow. "So...are you guys, like, officially a couple, then?" he asked. "Has Zack said anything?"

"Well...no, but..."

Reno lifted her chin up with his fingertips. "Kandi..." he began, but she cut him off.

"Reno, we're having a baby together," she explained. "I'm not leaving him like that. I owe it to him to be there for him. I owe him so much."

"There goes the freedom you always wanted," he commented.

Kandi took the clip of rounds from him and inserted them into the gun and shrugged. "Things change, Re," she murmured. She shot him a killer smile, and gestured to him. "Okay, show me how to shoot this thing."

Reno stepped up behind her, pressing his body against hers tightly and wrapping his arms around her. Kandi rolled her eyes again. "Does everything have to be sexual with you?" she asked.

"Yes," he purred.

"Your gun is digging into my ass."

"I'm not wearing a gun, Babe," he snickered.

Kandi reached back and smashed his nose with her fist. "Bastard," she said, taking the gun and aiming it at the bull's eye. Reno whimpered on the floor, holding his bleeding nose. "I'll just teach myself."

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_**A/N: Reno's so fun. I couldn't figure out how to let the red-head know about Zack's impending motherhood and this just popped into my head. Hope it was good. XD**_


	19. Rockin and Choppin

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor:** Now that "Evidence of Sephiroth's Humanity" has been put to bed (not permanently, more than likely), it's time to return to my neglected fics. This one, for example, or "Seed" and "The End of My Life as I Know It". Not to mention "Tainted Love," my old Devil May Cry fic. That one hasn't been updated since, what, last summer? I'm such a bad, bad authoress... Oh well, now I have time to work on them all! So anyway, it's back to Seph and Ak, who are on their way back to Midgar now. Their week is over, they need to get the pregnancy confirmed in the labs via Dr. Quorra, and Seph really wants to see her about whether Zack was pulling his leg or not. But can anything truly go all that smoothly, when something as juicy as the Great Sephiroth and his teenaged lover spending a week in Wutai, alone?

Rockin' and Choppin'

The ocean surged and fell below them, leaping to snatch the chopper from the sky and failing to reach it, a living entity hungry to drag them below its waves. Akalara watched from the window, one hand pressed against the glass, cranberry eyes wide with wonder. She'd been staring at the sea ever since they left the island nation a half-hour ago.

"I find it a little insulting that you prefer looking out the window to talking with me," Sephiroth commented, amusement coloring his smooth voice.

The green-haired teen turned her head to look at him. "I'd never even seen the beach until we left for Wutai. Can you blame a poor city girl for being curious?"

"No. I think it's rather cute, truth be told." He leaned over and snaked hs arm around her waist; the teen let out a surprised squeal as he pulled her back onto his lap. "Just a few hours, and we're stopping in Costa del Sol for refueling. Then it's about three hours before we're back in Midgar." His hand smoothed down her torso, cupping one cotton-covered breast gently. "What should we do to pass the time, I wonder?"

"Didn't you get enough last night?" Akalara asked, squirming as his long fingers teased at her nipple through her shirt and bra.

His low chuckled vibrated along her spine, raising goosebumps on her naked arms. "I can never get enough of you," he murmured before pressing a kiss to her neck.

Akalara closed her eyes, enjoying the familiar touch of the man she loved. His hands had explored her until they had memorized every sensitive spot, every place that made her body sing. He had claimed every inch of her, every last centimeter of her flesh. Akalara could normally lose herself in Sephiroth's love only minutes after he first kissed or touched her, but this time reality stopped her arousal cold. "Seph, wait!" she gasped.

The silver-haired man lifted his head to look at her in surprise. He already had her shirt open and her bra pushed down, and he was hard, ready to take her anew. By now she was usually boneless in his arms, as eager as he. This time, though, her hands were pushing his away. "What's wrong?"

She twisted so her eyes met his. "Will this harm the baby?"

His concern rose at that. He knew so little about pregnancy; could making love endanger their baby? "I have no idea," he admitted, his hands falling away from her.

The teen whimpered in protest, grabbing his hands and bringing them back to her breasts. "Ak..." he started. She ground her hips into his lap, effectively shutting him up with a strangled noise.

"Gimme your phone."

Sephiroth flashed her a questioning look, but fished out his cell phone and passed it to her. Akalara flipped it open and scrolled through the numbers with great familiarity; her love had taught her how to use a phone shortly after they met, letting her practice on his cell before purchasing her one of her own. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her torso and rested his chin on her shoulder as she hit the 'call' button.

The call's recipient picked up on the second ring. "_Hello?"_

"Hey, Chris."

_"Ak? What are you doing on Seph's phone?"_

The silver-haired man chuckled against his love's back. "Christine, we have been in Wutai for the past two weeks. Why shouldn't she be on my phone?"

_"Doesn't she have her own phone?"_

"My phone ran out of juice before I could change it." Akalara inhaled sharply as her love lightly tweaked her sensitive nipples, reminding her of more important matters. "Look, the reason we're calling is because we have a question for you."

_"Ask away."_

"Is it safe to have sex during pregnancy?"

There was a spitting sound on the other end of the line, and the sudden wail of a very startled baby. Loud cussing followed, along with the profuse apologies to Axys.

"What just happened?" Sephiroth asked over the noise.

"_You caught me while I was eating and most of that last mouthful ended up on Ax. Hang on, lemme get her in the sink. Baby needs a bath."_

"It wasn't too anything too messy or hot, I hope?" the silver-haired man inquired, smiling as Akalara turned her head to softly nuzzle his cheek.

_"It was pizza and milk," _Christine explained over the sound of running water and Axys' howls. _"I had her down on the floor, just letting her roll around a little, and I was eating Pizza Shack while 'Lethal Fishing' was on. Now lemme get this straight: did I just hear you ask it if's okay to have sex during pregnancy?"_

"You did," the green-haired teen confirmed, grinning like that cat that ate the canary.

_"You're pregnant?"_

"She is." Sephiroth squeezed his love gently, one hand resting possessively on her stomach. "With my baby."

_"Congratulations, guys! Axys will have a playmate in a few years. Can't wait to see what your kid looks like. I just know it'll be adorable!"_

"Just one thing, Christine," Sephiroth cut in. "You can't tell anyone. The last thing we want is for Hojo to find out."

_"So no gossiping?"_

"I will fire you if you do, and make sure the Turks have a reason to hunt you down and kill you," the silver-haired man warned, utterly serious. "You are my friend, but I will do everything in my power to protect the ones I love. Understand?"

There was a deep sigh on the other end, then _"So who else are you telling?"_ Axys shut up the moment she hit the water, now cooing and laughing in the background as she splashed in the sink.

"Zack, Kandi, Reno, Cloud when we get the chance, Lily, and Verdot."

_"I guess you haven't heard, then."_

"Heard what?"

_"Tseng's been promoted. He's Verdot's second-in-command now, and oversees all matters involving Turk trainees. I'd assume you'd want to inform him of your new condition, Ak, since you're a trainee."_

Akalara looked at Sephiroth, who nodded. "Tseng is trustworthy. We were planning on telling him anyway."

"_Well, then they're the only ones I'll discuss this with."_ Axys gurgled happily as more water splashed, as if Christine had just poured a cupful of water over her daughter's head. "_So anyway, to answer your question, there shouldn't be a problem with you two gettin' freaky for the next nine months. Just be gentle, okay Seph? Nothing too rough with her."_

"No trouble with that, Chris. We get too rough here and we'll make the chopper crash," Akalara commented.

_"Sex in a chopper? Kinky!"_ the secretary laughed. _"Well, I'll leave you two it, then. Have fun!"_

"Oh, I'm sure we will," Sephiroth said with a dark laugh, taking the phone and slowly closing it between his fingers. Akalara grabbed his hand the moment he put the phone down and tugged it between her legs, moaning softly as he got the hint and his long fingers began teasing her sensitive pearl.

"I'm glad it's safe to touch you," he murmured, pressing hot kisses to her neck. "I don't think I can keep my hands off you for the next eight or nine months."

"You'll think otherwise when I'm huge and fat and eating everything in sight," the teen gasped, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning back against him.

"On the contrary. I can't wait to see you like that." Spreading her wide open, Sephiroth traced his intial over her moist folds, making her tilt her head back against his shoulder on a deep moan. "I love you, and you're carrying my child. To me, now and forever, there is no woman as beautiful and desirable as you."

Akalara's hips involuntarily bucked when his gloved digits invaded her opening, then lowered to grind into him. Sephiroth rumbled in approval and began stroking her slick jewel with his right hand while thrusting the first two fingers of the other in and out of her. To thank him for his attentions, the forest-haired teenager began undulating her hips against his, wringing a gasp from his throat. She purred when she felt how hard he was for her.

Pulling her skirt up and her thong aside, Akalara raised herself enough for her lover to unzip his pants. Feeling the familiar pressure of his cock against her, seeking entrance into her body, she lowered herself back into his lap. Both of them let out a moan at the sensation, her body opening to accept his without hesitation, a sword sliding into its rightful sheath, and Sephiroth leaned forward to wrap his arms around her. A hot, open-mouthed kiss was pressed to the nape of her neck and "Mine" was whispered into her flesh.

"Yours" she whispered back, flexing her muscles around him and beginning to move. "Mine." She turned her head, one hand raising to plunge into his silky hair.

"Yours." Sephiroth kissed her, raising his hips to meet hers.

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

In the cockpit, the pilot adjusted his altitude before returning his attention to the small television monitor he had set on his lap. The monitor was hooked up to a spy camera he had placed in the passenger compartment opposite the seats, and a USB flashdrive was plugged into the camera, recording everything that went on in the back. It had been a bit boring earlier, given that they were talking about something and he had no idea what it was (he hadn't had time to set up the sound recorder), but now the general and the green-haired woman were performing as planned. This was a much better view of the general's woman, to say nothing of the general himself, than he had expected.

The pilot grinned, thinking of the Interweb site to which he had promised explicit footage of the Great Sephiroth and his exotic little lover. With the gil he would get from this, he'd be able to buy a motorcycle at long last, along with the insurance for it.

Beside, what were the chances of either Sephiroth or his plaything ever realizing that they were online amatuer porn stars?


	20. Back in the City

**Queen's Quornor: **Amazon's back in the game! She shoots, she scores! WHOOTWHOOTWHOOT!! turns red and clears throat, realizing everybody is staring Excuse me. I normally don't do that. As per usual, the only things I did here were add a chapter and beta-read. Nothing more, nothing less. It's all Amazon's.

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_**A/N: Queen's letting me handle the lovebirds re-entry into Midgar. Isn't she the coolest?!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the insatiable desire to see the canon hotties nekkid!**_

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Back in the City

Kandi and Zack arrived at work earlier than usual. The red-streaked woman had insisted on stopping by Midgar Bread Factory to get a pack of bagels and cream cheese and was now happily munching on her second sunflower seed bagel lathered with hummus. Zack was fighting back the urge to vomit.

"That seriously reeks, Kandi," he protested. "How can you stand to eat that stuff?"

"How can you not stand to eat this stuff?" she countered softly. "You're eating for two now. If the roles were reversed and you had knocked _me _up..."

"I don't think there's enough food in Midgar to feed you if you were to become pregnant," he said with a grin. She giggled and nudged him in the arm as they continued walking down the hall. They stopped in front of a familiar door and Zack knocked softly.

The door opened a crack and they stepped in, Kandi setting the food down and pulling the woman in the room into a huge hug. "Congratulations, Green Girl," she whispered softly. "I'm glad you guys are back."

Sephiroth and Zack embraced affectionately before the pairs switched and the two fathers were embracing and the two expectant mothers were in each other's arms. Akalara placed her hands on Zack's abdomen, her eyes wide. "Oh my gods," she whispered. "Your stomach is...rounder."

Zack nodded. "I told you," he said, grabbing Kandi's hand. "It's impossible, but it's happening."

"I still insist upon confirming it with Dr. Quorra myself," Sephiroth said. "It could just be Kandi's cooking."

"What cooking?" Kandi snorted. "I'm the take-out queen."

"She does make a mean omelet, though," Zack told them. "I just haven't been able to stomach them for awhile."

Kandi brightened and turned to the bag of bagels. "Speaking of food, we brought some!" she exclaimed. "There are some plain ones in there for those with weak stomachs."

"Did you guys come in last night like you planned?" Zack asked, reaching for a plain bagel and nibbling on it. "Encounter any problems?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "None at all," he answered, accepting a bagel from Kandi. "The city was deserted, just as we had expected. We've put off any ambushes so far."

"Yeah, but you know they're coming," Kandi huffed, taking a bite of her third bagel. "I mean, especially with Akalara. There are some jealous bitches out there."

Sephiroth placed a protective arm around his woman. "Then I'll just have to keep them away from her," he growled possessively.

Akalara beamed up at him. "You know, I am a Turk trainee," she teased. "I don't think I'll have any problems."

"Yes, but you are also carrying my child," the silver-haired general said gently. "I won't let anything happen to either of you."

"You can't stay with her all day, though, Seph," Zack pointed out. "I mean, if you're that protective of her when you guys are supposedly just now officially a couple, people are going to get suspicious."

Peridot eyes narrowed. "Gods damn it," he snarled.

"I can watch out for her," Kandi offered. "She is my best friend after all. Well, my best _female _friend," she added, squeezing Zack's hand. "I'll take care of her, Seph."

Sephiroth nodded in approval. "Thank you, Kandi," he said sincerely.

The red-streaked woman grinned. Turning, she placed a quick kiss on Zack's lips. "Okay, you guys talk and me and Green Girl will go...do girl stuff," she said with a flick of her wrist. "See ya!"

Akalara turned to her lover and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I'll see you later," she said with a smile. "I love you."

Pride and possessiveness flashed in Sephiroth's eyes. "I love you, too," he said, returning the kiss with a flare of passion.

Zack rolled his eyes and looked at Kandi. "Why don't you kiss me like that?" he asked with a fake pout. "I'm having _your _baby."

Kandi snatched Akalara's hand and drug her away from the general. "'Cause I'm not that tall," she said, blowing him a kiss. "Later, Babe!"

"Later," Zack replied with a laugh as Sephiroth's door closed behind the two women. The younger SOLDIER turned to his friend. "So, care to go with me to see Dr. Quorra?"

Sephiroth looked at him skeptically. "You are dead serious about this, aren't you?" he asked.

"I'm not the lying type, Seph," Zack told him firmly.

The silver-haired man shook his head. "No, you definitely are not, Zackary," he said, opening the door and gesturing to him. "Lead the way."

ZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASK

Kandi led Akalara down the hall to Zack's office. She opened the door and waited for the other woman to go in after her. Once she had, she closed the door and leaned against it.

"Okay, spill. How in the hell did this happen?" the red-streaked woman asked. "Hojo's records said that Sephiroth could _not _procreate. He's sterile!"

"I know," Akalara replied.

"And I know for a gods damn fucking fact that you haven't slept with any other guys for over a month! Not even Zack or Reno. And your last period was the same time as mine, because we have that weird, fucked up girls-who-hang-with-each-other-have-the-same-cycle thing going on."

"Not anymore," Akalara chuckled. "So that explains the moodiness. You're ragging."

"Don't remind me," Kandi said, rummaging around in Zack's desk and producing a candybar. "What gives, Ak? How did you get pregnant with Sephiroth Spawn?"

Akalara sat down on Zack's couch and Kandi plopped down next to her. "I don't know," she replied. "The only thing I can think of is that Hojo was wrong."

Kandi grinned. "Ah, nothing would make me happier than rubbing that fact in the demented bastard's face," she sighed. "And yet, the satisfaction of doing that will never come." She leaned forward. "Do you have an appointment with Dr. Quorra yet?"

Akalara shook her head. "I'm going to make one today to confirm it," she said.

"We better pray that woman is trustworthy," Kandi said, munching on the chocolate. "Otherwise, we're in some deep shit."

Akalara rested her hands protectively over her stomach. "I know."

ZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASK

Sephiroth stared at the MRI scans Dr. Quorra had provided at Zack's request. It was impossible. A man's body simply was not designed to carry a child. And yet, there were the facts right in front of him. His best friend had a uterus inside of him.

"Believe me now, Seph?" Zack asked with his arms crossed over his chest, patented smirk in place.

"This is a joke, right?" Sephiroth inquired of the doctor.

Dr. Quorra laughed. "Zackary, why is it that every time you bring someone in here, they ask me that?"

"My friends aren't used to me being a scientific breakthrough, I guess," he chuckled. He hopped up on the examination table. "So, when should we be able to hear the baby's heartbeat?"

"The heartbeat can be heard fairly early in the pregnancy," Dr. Quorra told them. She gestured to a machine. "In fact, we could listen to it now, if you'd like."

Zack's face broke out into a smile. "Really?" he asked. She nodded. Zack was about to take off his shirt, but stopped mid-movement. "No, Kandi should really be here for that."

"Call her up," the doctor offered. "Tell her to meet you here."

"Don't I need an appointment or something?" Zack asked. "I mean, you have other patients."

"Yes, but you're my only pregnant male," she said, patting his leg kindly. "I'll make an exception for you."

"Thanks, Doc," Zack said, whipping out his cell phone. He glanced over at his dumbfounded general. "Hey, Seph. Wanna stay to hear the baby's heartbeat?"

"Yes," the silver-haired man said, still staring at the uterus inside of his male friend.

ZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASK

Akalara winced as her hair was pulled harshly. Grabbing the back of her head, she turned around, her demonic red eyes flashing angrily at the female infantrywoman who had assaulted her.

"Word around the place is that you are now dating the General," the woman hissed.

"Not that it concerns you, but yes, I am," Akalara said, trying to step around the woman to continue on her way.

The uniformed woman grabbed her shoulder and slammed her against a wall, pinning her in place. The papers Akalara had been carrying fell to the floor with the force of the impact. She had to make a conscious effort not to place her hands protectively over her stomach as she stared up into the furious face of the woman in front of her.

"You know, a lot of gals aren't taking too kindly to that fact," she said. "You see, a lot of us used to enjoy his company on a fairly frequent basis. But now that he's got a girlfriend of sorts, that isn't going to be happening anymore. And, frankly, that doesn't make us too happy. So, we kinda need to get some of that pent-up aggression out, you know? And guess who gets to be our punching bag?"

Akalara did not want to get into a physical confrontation with anyone. The child she was carrying was not even supposed to have been conceived. She wasn't going to risk its life. On the other hand, she wasn't going to let anyone take it from her, either.

"Get off me," she seethed. "I will not be your punching bag."

"Uh yeah, you will," the woman sneered.

"You know, she's really a lot shorter than you," Kandi piped up, walking down the hall towards them. She stopped in front of them and tilted her head. "I'm a bit more your size."

The infantrywoman looked down at Kandi's three inch tall stiletto boots and snorted. "Fake height," she replied, releasing Akalara and turning toward the red-streaked woman. "You really think you can take me on? I'm in the army. You're a secretary. You're good for taking notes and getting coffee."

Kandi grinned. "If that's what you think, then you shouldn't be afraid to fight me instead," she replied.

The woman reared back and slapped Kandi across the face. The secretary barely budged. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Kandi laughed. "Is that what they teach you in the army? How to bitch-slap? No wonder you bitches are nothing but a bunch of motherfucking pussies!"

With that, Kandi reached out and grabbed ahold of the woman's hair, wrapping it around her fist and pulling her face down into her uplifted knee, shattering her nose. With a satisfied smile, she watched as the infantrywoman fell in a heap to the floor. "Shit, now I got her blood on my skirt," she grumbled, wiping at the crimson liquid. She looked over at her friend. "Geez, I leave you alone for fifteen minutes and the bitches come out."

Akalara laughed as she picked up her papers and fell into step with Kandi. "That move looked vaguely familiar," she observed. "Been getting some tips from Reno?"

Kandi nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Figured it might be a good idea. Did I do good?"

"Yeah, you really did," the green-haired woman told her. "You could have been a good Turk."

"Ah, maybe in another life," Kandi said. "Wanna come with me to Dr. Quorra's? Zack just called. They're gonna listen to the baby's heartbeat."

"Yeah! I'd love to!" Akalara exclaimed. "Maybe she can confirm mine, then."

Kandi grinned and linked their arms together. "Our kids are gonna grow up together," she whispered. "They are going to kick so much ass."

Akalara beamed. Despite the fear and the fact that they were going to have to leave their homes, she felt nothing but joy over the fact that she was having Sephiroth's child.

ZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASKZASK

_**A/N: Long, I know, but it was fun to write. Hope Kandi's ass kicking part wasn't too MarySue. If it was, I'll get a migraine from her shortly. Review!**_


	21. Trust

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor:** So here's a new chapter from me. There is another chapter from teh maniac ready at the gate, but this one has to come first to keep the timeline a little more intact. What I _should _do is go back, put all of his more recent chapters together, and then post the interspersed chapters from me and Amazon in their proper order. But I'm not going to do that. I'm going to just try and do that later, when the fic is finished and I can sort through the various story threads and put them where they're supposed to be in a reposting or something like that. Whatever. Regardless, here's my next. And let's just say there are stormy seas on the horizon for one of our expectant couples...

Trust

Zack jumped a little as the sensor was placed on his stomach. "You could've warned me or warmed that up first, Doc. That's cold!"

Dr. Quorra chuckled lightly as she moved the sensor over her patient's abdomen. "Sorry, Zackary. But perhaps this will serve as an apology." She pressed the sensor, really just a fancy microphone, to a specific location on the SOLDIER's belly, and turned a knob on the connected machine. Kandi grabbed for Zack's hand and held it tightly, tears in her eyes, as the machine began emitting rapid thump-swoosh noises through its speaker. Zack's grin split his face in two, and his violet eyes glowed even more strongly as his emotions grew.

"That's our baby," he announced softly to the other couple in the room.

Sephiroth looked even more stunned than when the MRI scans had been handed to him, but his free hand found Akalara's, his fingers twining tightly with hers as the phantom heartbeat grew louder, stronger. Akalara smiled at her fellow mother-to-be, knowing that in a week or two she would be in his place on the table, listening to her baby's heart for the very first time.

"Baby's heartbeat sounds good and strong. I'd say he or she is very healthy right now, but I won't know for certain until I can perform an ultrasound." Dr. Quorra left the sensor in place and approached the room's remaining occupants. "Are you satisfied, General?"

Sephiroth glanced at Akalara, and his face softened into a loving, gentle smile. "With Colonel's Fair's condition, yes. But there is another matter I - or rather, _we _- must discuss with you."

"I need you to confirm the fact that I am pregnant, Doctor," the green-haired teen elaborated.

The physician immediately dropped her clipboard, the sharp clatter breaking Zack and Kandi's enthrallment with their child's heartbeat. "What? With whose baby?"

"Mine, of course." Sephiroth stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "She is carrying my child."

"That can't be right," Dr. Quorra muttered, stooping to retrieve her clipboard. "It couldn't be your child, if she is actually pregnant."

Akalara felt her love's arms tighten around her, as her heart hammered in her throat and Kandi reached out, trying to stop the doctor. Or perhaps distract Sephiroth before... "And why not?"

"Because you're sterile."

Kandi's hand fell away. Zack sat up, violet eyes wide. Time seemed to freeze for Akalara, her body turned to ice. She wanted to rewind the last few minutes and rease them, choke the words off in the other woman's throat before they could escape. Sephiroth would surely hate her now. He had repeatedly expressed loathing and disdain for those who were unfaithful, for those who broke their promises. What would he do to her, if he thought she had cheated on him?

Kandi's voice cut through the silence. "That's not what the report said." All eyes turned to the red-streaked woman, who was white as a sheet, but her jaw set. "Hojo's report stated that no _human _woman could ever bear your children, Seph. It never said you were fully sterile. Just incompatible."

"But there is still no way he could have sired a child on her," Dr. Quorra pointed out.

Kandi crossed her arms, brown eyes boring into Sephiroth's, not the doctor's. "I know for a fact that the General is the only man Ak has been with since her last period. And prior to that, the last time she was with another man was two weeks before it. If she's pregnant, and the baby isn't his, then it would have to be by immaculate conception or something 'cause there's no way it could have gotten in there by normal means."

The doctor chewed her lip thoughtfully, looking over the green-haired teen. "I'll need a blood sample, an amniotic sample, and a mako sample."

"Mako sample? Why would you need to check her levels? Ak's a Turk trainee, not a SOLDIER cadet," Zack said, swinging his legs over the side of the table to fully face his friends.

"Look at her eyes," the doctor stated dryly, crossing the room to open a cabinet.

Kandi approached her friend, cautious of Sephiroth, who hadn't moved or spoken since Quorra's announcement. She leaned forward and squinted, looking into the shorter female's cranberry orbs, then almost fell backwards in shock. "They're glowing!" she shrieked.

"What?!" Zack scrambled off the examination table and over to Akalara. He started to reach for her chin, but a sudden growl from the silver-haired man warned him off. "They _are_ glowing!"

"That's why I need to measure her levels. Turk trainees never get an actual glow. At the most their eyes simply become brighter, shinier than before. A cadet must be exposed to high amounts of mako before their levels get high enough for the glow to manifest." Quorra took four large tubes and three needles out of the cabinet. "I also need a mako sample from you, General. Past a certain level, SOLDIERs have the ability to transfer their bodies' mako to another person, supposedly. I need to figure out where this mako in her system came from."

Akalara nodded, tears filling her eyes. She always felt so safe in Sephiroth's arms, and that remained the case now. But she feared that the moment he let go of her, she would never experience that safety ever again.

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

"We decided not to tell you because we were afraid you'd react this way!" Kandi shrieked, her arms around Akalara while the younger woman cried into her shoulder. Sephiroth had accused his lover of cheating and lying the moment Dr. Quorra left the room, promising to have results soon. Akalara had defended herself, telling him that she hadn't really lied when she had said that she couldn't have children. The only babies she wanted were his, after all, so if he couldn't give them to her, she couldn't have them. The silver-haired man had retorted that obviously she was lying, since she was human and pregnant. This fight hat been raging ever since, with Zack and Kandi defending Akalara's honor against the man she loved, their friend.

"You still should have told me!" the general shouted.

"And what were we supposed to say? Huh? 'Sorry, Seph, but there's way too much mako in your cum to knock a human gal like Ak up'?" Kandi yelled back, stroking the younger woman's hair soothingly.

"Ak's never been anything but faithful to you, Seph!" Zack exclaimed for the fifth time, exasperation suffusing his tone. "She always asked permission to get with me or Reno, and it was always only when you were in the room, busy with Kandi or Lily! She never slept around on you, either, not even when you were on a mission somewhere. Not once!"

"And you were watching her twenty-four hours a day? The entire time?" Sephiroth sneered.

Kandi's eyes flared, and she let go of Akalara long enough to stalk over to the silver-haired man and slap him hard across the face. "How can you say that?!" she screamed as he rubbed his blood-red cheek. "Ak loves you. You're the best thing that ever happened to her, and her to you! Why would she fuck up the relationship she has with you, the future she has with you, for some _fling _with another guy? You know better than that! Her loyalty is part of why you fell in love with her!"

Sephiroth's peridot eyes grew hard. "Who said anything about a future with me?"

Zack and Kandi's jaws hit the floor at that simple statement. Akalara, however, simply wiped her tears away and went for the door, still crying. She paused before she opened it, turning to look at the man she loved. "I'm not stupid, Seph. I remember what you said in Wutai. I'm pregnant, the baby is yours, and Zack and Kandi aren't the only ones who've defied science lately."

With that she departed, slamming the door behind her. Kandi glared daggers at the silver-haired man and returned to Zack, who stared hard at his friend. "I hope you're happy, Seph. It's your own damn fault if she just walked out of your life forever, and we never see her again."

"But that baby couldn't possibly be mine!" the silver-haired man roared. "I can't have children!"

Kandi slammed the countertop with her fist, absolutely furious with her friend's stubborn pig-headedness. "Then how did she get pregnant? Huh? You're the only guy she's been with in _six fucking weeks!_ Zack and Reno never touched her while you were gone, and she never cheated with anybody else!"

"You weren't watching her all the time! A quickie only takes about six minutes if you do it right!"

"I can't believe you, Seph!" Zack stormed over to the counter and matched up his MRI scans, forcing Sephiroth to look at them. "You want proof that the impossible can happen? The kid inside me is living proof! I got pregnant by a chick in less than an hour, and the kid, the uterus is still in here!" He pointed to his stomach for emphasis. "If a guy can get knocked up by a girl, why couldn't you have knocked up Ak?"

"Because I'm fucking sterile!" the silver-haired man shouted.

"No, you're not."

Dr. Quorra's voice cut through his tirade as effectively as a knife through hot butter. Sephiroth, eyes wide, leaned against the wall as his legs suddenly lost the ability to support his weight. "What?"

The physician, white as a ghost, looked around as she quickly closed the door behind her. "Where's Akalara?"

"She's gone," Zack explained curtly. "We'll tell her the news if you'll tell us."

Quorra looked at Sephiroth warily, then cleared her throat. "I ran the tests three times, to make absolutely sure I wasn't seeing things. Akalara is, in fact, pregnant. The father, unbelievable as it seems, is you, General."

The glow in the peridot eyes lessened considerably as Sephiroth's legs finally gave out, and he slid to the gloor, dazed. "How? I thought you said... The report said..."

"I know. But the mako tests gave me a possible explanation." She flipped to another sheet, ignoring the accusing looks Kandi and Zack were shooting the stunned man on the floor. "Akalara's levels are extremely high, on a level comparable to that of a Second Class SOLDIER. The mako is from a biological source, not the manufactured variety cadets and trainees receive."

"Biological? Did she fall into a mako spring or something?" Kandi inquired, turning a surprised look on the doctor.

Quorra shook her head. "Her mako is mostly secondhand. There were some traces of the manufactured mako from her injections, but the rest is all secondhand biological."

"Where the hell did it come from?" Zack asked, scratching his head.

"The general, of course."

"What?" Sephiroth's head snapped up, eyes wide. "I haven't been swapping blood with her!"

"No, but you have been ejaculating inside her body. And the mako sample I tested matched your sample almost perfectly."

Kandi stared at the doctor, then burst out laughing. "Are you serious?! Her eyes are glowing because he hasn't been pulling out?"

"Completely. All SOLDIERs have their biological makeup altered by mako, and a human body absorbed mako when exposed to it. A woman's body does the same thing to semen. So when Akalara's body absorbed the general's ejaculate, it also took in the excess mako contained therein."

"I thought biological transfer was only possible by blood exchange," Sephiroth protested, fisting one hand in his hair and drawing one leg up to prop his elbow.

"Transfer by semen is only possible at the absolute highest levels of SOLDIER. You and Genesis were probably the only ones capable of it, and now only you. Normal SOLDIERs, including First Classes," she nodded towards Zack, "only have trace amounts of mako in their semen. Very, very little is absorbed into their partner's bodies, and most SOLDIERs don't have girlfriends or boyfriends, which only lessens secondhand exposure to mako. But since there is so much in your ejaculate, and you copulate with Akalara on a regular basis, it had a chance to build up in her system, just like manufactured mako."

"But that still doesn't explain how Ak got pregnant with Seph Spawn," Kandi pointed out, hopping up on the examination table.

"Actually, it might." Quorra glanced at Sephiroth, then returned her attention to the younger man and his lover. "The higher a person's mako level, the greater their tolerance to mako in general. That's why First Classes can be so comfortable in mako-saturated environments that would severely poison a civilian. They've adapted to it, and so can survive relatively unchanged. How long have you been sleeping with Akalara, General?"

"Five months," Sephiroth mumbled, still reeling and holding his head in one hand.

The doctor nodded, satisfied. "The secondhand mako Akalara has been receiving from you must have increased her tolerance to the point that her body is accustomed to it. To yours, in particular. This may have enabled her to accept fertilized eggs that already have a large amount of mako in them."

"So what you're saying is that since one of his sperm fertilized one of her eggs, she can actually carry it to full term?" Kandi asked, brown eyes wide.

"That she is prepared for it biologically, yes. A normal human woman doesn't have that tolerance, and most of the women in SOLDIER wouldn't, either. Furthermore, she is biologically matched for the general's mako alone, since she is accustomed to it. His mako is as much a part of her body as her own genes. So while other women could accept the general's semen, they couldn't bear his children because their own bodies would regard the fertilized eggs as foreign, and not accept them. They would abort the eggs without even realizing they had been pregnant.

"But Akalara's body is used to his mako, to his semen. Any egg fertilized would have been regarded as a normal fertilized egg, and implanted in the uterine wall without incident." Dr. Quorra breathed a sigh and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I don't know how long it took for the acclimation to occur, but I think it's safe to say that, if I am right, Akalara is the only woman on the Planet capable of bearing your children, General. At the present time."

Sephiroth stared up at her, speechless. A moment later his place on the floor was vacant, the door was wide open, and the room was short one occupant.

Zack chuckled knowingly as the papers and MRI scans settled to the floor. "Congratulations, Doc. I think you just solved their first big spat."

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

Akalara sat curled on her couch, one arm wrapped around her lower abdomen as she cried for the bajillionth time today. Or was it still the first? She honestly didn't know. It could be blamed on baby hormones, but she knew the truth.

She was crying from a broken heart.

Why couldn't that stupid doctor have kept her mouth shut? If she hadn't spilled the beans, Sephiroth would never have found out about his supposed sterility. He would have remained blissfully unaware, assured of their baby's paternity and completely in love with her. But now...

"I guess it's just you and me now, baby," she sobbed, wiping her eyes and nose yet again. "Your father wants nothing to do with us."

Sudden whines and whimpers filled the air, and Akalara looked down to find Zexion standing with his front paws on the couch, staring up at her with huge blue eyes. Sniffing, she leaned over to pick him up, cuddling him against her chest like a child with a moogle doll. The silvery-purple puppy whined and buried his head under her chin, attempting to comfort his grieving owner.

"I don't even know if he'll come back to me when he finds out that I didn't cheat," she confessed sadly. "He's so proud sometimes. I don't know if he'll tell me he's sorry, that I was right and he was wrong."

She was aware of the room darkening around her, and strong, unseen arms embracing her, phantom fingers stroking through her hair in a soothing manner. In his own way, Zexion was trying to make her feel better and sort of succeeding. The green-haired trainee appreciated the gesture, but she knew exactly who she wanted to comfort her. That was quite impossible, however, since the man she wanted was also the man she was fighting with in the first place.

"What am I going to do, Zexion?" She nuzzled his silky fur sadly. "I can't force him to listen. But if he faces facts and still rejects me, I can't stay here, either. I can't remain here in Midgar, around him, and watching him continue on with his life. Especially if there's another woman involved. I couldn't bear it."

There was a knock at the door, and Akalara tensed, her hand freezing on the puppy's back. She hoped...

But she didn't move. If it was him, she wanted to see him and she wanted to flee out the window and down the back of the apartment building. Was he going to ask her forgiveness? Or would he abandon her, just like everybody else she had ever known?

The knocking continued for a minute, then ceased. More tears slipped down her cheeks; she had lost him.

Her phone rang.

Choking back sobs, Akalara reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "Hello?"  
"_Akalara."_

"Sephiroth."

There was a soft thumping noise at her door, as if he had leaned against it _"The tests came back."_

"And?" She curled tighter, leaning her head on the back of the couch tiredly. Zexion remained on her chest and stomach, his illusion cradling her securely.

A slow exhalation. _"You were right."_

The teenager remained silent, not daring to hope. Numb inside.

_"I was a stubborn asshole, and what I said to you was unforgivable. All I can do is apologize, and hope you will take me back."_ A softer thud; perhaps he had leaned his head against the door? _I've never begged on my hands and knees before, Akalara. But if it would convince you to take me back, I would."_ His voice lowered, desperation and apology suffusing his tone. "_I'm not sure I can live without you now."_

Just a line. Logically, she knew she wasn't the only woman to have heard her man utter that phrase in an attempt at reconcilliation. But now, hurting because of his cruel words and needing him so desperately...

Zexion was placed on the floor and she got to her feet, going to the door. She pressed one hand to the smooth metal, imagining that he had done the same on the other side, and laid her head against the door. "You really hurt me, Seph. I'd never cheat on you. You should have known that."

_"I know. But it hurt me that you and Kandi kept this from me. I would have been upset, but I would have accepted it. Finding out like that..."_

"I never wanted you to find out because I knew how much you wanted to be a father. I wanted to protect you."

There was silence on the other line, then his voice whispered through the door, over the phone _"I would rather suffer the brutal truth, Akalara, then hide behind a shield of ignorance."_

She closed her eyes, feeling more tears welling. "I'm sorry, Seph. But what hurt me the most is that you didn't trust me. I trust you with everything; why can't you do the same for me?"

_"I don't know. I know how hard it is for you to trust, and I am honored that you find me worthy of it. But when it comes to me... I can't stop thinking about how people have broken my trust. My mother, Dr. Armelia, Dr. Gast, Angeal, Genesis... They all left me, Akalara. All of them." _She heard him swallow, and knew he was being totally honest. Nothing was being held back here. _"It would kill me if you left me, too. I don't think I have the strength to survive losing you."_

The lock was turning before she knew it, and the door slid away to reveal him standing there, phone held to his ear, peridot eyes filled with tears. Akalara stared at him, fully aware of how terrible she must look right now from her hours of near-constant crying, and how doors were opening as the civilians on her hall began peeking out to see what was going on. This would probably be in all the tabloids next issue. But right now, all she truly cared about was the man outside her door.

"You never lost me."

Then she was in his arms, crying into his chest, and he was holding her, so tightly she almost couldn't breathe. But that didn't matter now.

Everything was all right.


	22. A Chance Meeting

**Queen's Quornor: **Here we are, back with Tifa's end of things. I'm not sure who'll be up next, but my money's on Amazon.

--

**Reno: Hey, where is he?**

**Zack: I dunno. Heard something about fire.**

**(through the Fire and the flames plays in the background)**

**Zack: (sigh) he's trying to beat that song on expert again. He'll injure himself in 3...2...1...**

**Me: AAAAGHH! MY ME-TIME WRIST!**

**Ahem. Been thinking about all the possible ways to actually continue with this; being in a different time zone from the other co-authors means that communication between them and me is somewhat limited. So if I'm being awkward by going down this path, girls, I'm sorry. However, if it's not a problem, then woot! Onto my other fics that are in desperate need of an update in order to convince people who have alerted those stories that I'm not actually dead.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7, its characters, locations nor the OCs.**

--

A Chance Meeting

"So what's the final damage report?" The 3rd class SOLDIER asked the nearest cadet, the one who drew the short straw and got to be the bearer of bad news.

"Tranquilizer containers shattered, one of the ammo crates on top was thrown into the sea, materia is scattered around the hull, some of it shattered, and we found an MP3 player."

"And the cr- an MP3 player?" he asked, unconsciously checking his pockets.

"Yes, we found it while trying to salv- I mean, secure any materia and we found it lying around."

"Has its owner come to collect it?"

"No, I've shown it around the people and no-one's confessing ownership. But they are in agreement about one thing about it."

"I know that I will regret this question, but since curiosity is a cruel demon who won't go away… what?"

"It belonged to a girl. It has crudely stuck-on hearts. We must have had a stowaway, since there wasn't a female on-board otherwise."

"Perfect. Abso-bloody-lutley perfect. First, we get an impersonator let loose a fucking Big Tank on us, and now we find out that another person was also on board who could also have tried to kill us all. Fuck." The commanding officer face-palmed; High Command was going to have his head for this… Unless he gave them someone else's instead

"Collins?"

"Yes sir?"

"I order you to tell General Sephiroth about this whole thing since a terrorist attack on a Shinra cargo ship is such a big deal, and during said conversation, to not mention my rank, name, or serial number."

"…"

"Dismissed, private."

"…" The poor cadet stood there for half an hour afterwards in what was most likely a puddle of his own urine.

--

Tifa tossed and turned on her bed. The Junon hotel hadn't been cheap and she was starting to feel a bit ripped off. The air conditioning was about as noisy as someone swinging a sledgehammer at a piece of metal while randomly setting off fireworks and shouting into a microphone that was connected to amplifiers set on 11. Or maybe she just couldn't sleep.

She had been scared nearly to death on that boat, both hiding and when that thing was loose, but at the same time it had been… exciting. _Let's hope this trip doesn't turn me into an adrenaline junkie, _she thought. Next on her mind was how to get to Midgar from here; what little money she had wouldn't get her to Fort Condor. To get to Midgar on foot would require her to go through the abandoned Mythril Mines, which was said to have developed its own family of dragons inside. And then there was the Midgar Marsh. Home to a giant snake. Not something Tifa wanted to face even if she had five more years of training and had participated in a high octane car and motorcycle chase down a highway after rescuing the last remainder of a species from the clutches of an evil madman.

_Where the fuck did that come from?_

--

The next day was not like the blistering hot sun of the western continent. It was a lot cooler, slightly more damp, and definitely grey. Grey metal, grey sky, gray…something else… Whatever it was, it was grey. Possibly it was a grey dog, but at this point it's not relevant.

Walking down the main road of Junon was definitely a contrast to what Nibelheim was like even on the busiest days. The streets were so crowded it was amazing that people were able to walk anywhere.

"AAH!" someone shouted in the crowd. Tifa managed to barge her way through to the source of the commotion. With the way people acted, they probably wouldn't notice if someone was invading. Tifa found who it was who had screamed; it was a young girl, couldn't be two years older than her, lying on the ground, not hurt but desperately trying to scoop up what she had been carrying. "Bastards… This stuff cost me 900 gil," she muttered. Her brown hair was in a mess with a haphazard headband used in some attempt to keep it out of her eyes.

"You okay?" Tifa asked

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Could you just help me up here? I'd appreciate it. Thanks. Not from around here, I take it?"

"What makes you say that?"

"For one, no-one wears a miniskirt in this weather," she first said initially as sort of a joke. When that didn't seem to go over particularly well she changed topic to more of an obvious compliment. "Secondly, hardly any people who live on the plate stop to help each other out."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I hardly ever come up here except when I need computer stuff. Most of the people are Sh- assholes." Jessie stopped herself from saying Shinra scum. You could never be to careful on the top plate; down below it was fine because no-one who could take offense to it cared much about what happened in lower Junon or the slums of Midgar.

"Oh… Hey wait!" Tifa shouted, trying to get the attention before she left.

"Yeah?"

"Look, I need to get to Midgar really quickly. I was wondering could you help me out."

"Midgar… Sorry, can't help you get there right now, but…" Jessie stopped to think. Biggs was coming back from Kalm, he'd have to cross the marsh to get anywhere near Junon. That meant chocobos. Maybe if they were quick, this girl could use the chocobo after Biggs before it had time to run away. "Maybe a bit later. If you want."

"Thank you. The name's Tifa."

"Jessie. Nice to meet you too then."

--

**Well that's done. There's only one thing to do now. (Picks up Guitar Hero 3) I will not fear, fear is the mind killer. (Starts to play TTFATF) Through the fire and the flames we carry ooooooonnnnnnn! Review!**


	23. Agressive Tendencies

**Queen's Quornor: **Amazon has sent me her next chapter, and it's a doozy, let me tell you. But she accuses me of being a sneak? Sheesh, girl, with a lead-in like this, how could you not attract my muses' attention?

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_**A/N: And here we go!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own (looks around and sighs)...nothing.**_

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Aggressive Tendencies

Cloud walked into the empty gym tentatively. Kandi had called him and asked him to meet her here and he wasn't sure why. He was slightly afraid, yet oddly excited about the possibility of molestation from Zack's red-streaked secretary.

"Sup, Spike?"

The blond cadet turned around and grinned at Zack as he finished wrapping tape around Kandi's hands.

"Hey," he replied, walking toward them. "What's up?"

"Uh, Kandi's pissed," Zack answered, lifting her hand up to his mouth and tearing the tape with his teeth. "She needs to get some aggression out and since I'm kinda in a delicate condition, _you _get to help her."

Cloud stopped before he got to them, face paling slightly. "Is she going to kick my ass or rape me?" he asked hesitantly.

Zack laughed and Kandi snorted. "Neither, Chocobo Head," the female told him. "And in case you can't tell, blonds aren't my type."

The SOLDIER gestured toward a large punching bag. "We just need you to hold the bag, Spike," he told him. "No worries. She's a secretary. She doesn't pack that much of a punch."

Kandi glared at him as she pulled the boxing gloves on over her taped hands. "If you weren't in your _condition_, I'd deck you and show you how much of a punch I pack," she grumbled.

Cloud chuckled and took his position behind the bag as Kandi began punching, Zack instructing her on the proper way to hold her fists so she wouldn't hurt herself. Watching them made Cloud a little homesick. The way the two lovers interacted made him want that sort of playful love with a certain brunette girl back home.

"Hey," the blond began. "You think, while we're gone and all, that we'll stop in Nibelheim?"

"Got a guy back home, Blondie?" Kandi snickered, coming around with a right hook.

"A girl, actually," Cloud replied, shoving the bag at her. "Contrary to popular belief, I ain't gay."

"Huh, I thought you were bi, actually," Zack said, rubbing his belly. "Reno'll be disappointed."

Cloud's jaw dropped. "You told _Reno _I was bi?" he squeaked. "Fuck, now I'm gonna have to deal with _him _trying to molest me. What is it with these guys around here?"

"You _are _kinda femmy," Kandi offered.

Zack stifled a snicker when Cloud glared at him. "Sorry," he said insincerely. "Why are you asking about Nibelheim? Wanting to check in on Tifa?"

Cloud blushed. "Well, yeah," he said. "Since we didn't get to go on the mission a couple weeks back, I missed the chance to see her again. I mean, I understand about you not being able to go now, but...what was the General's reason again?"

Cloud was knocked back quite a bit as Kandi growled and hit the bag hard. "The General," she spat out. "Bastard."

Zack stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, pulling her back from the bag and rubbing her soothingly. "He's the reason Kandi's pissed off," he explained.

"What happened?" Cloud asked.

Kandi and Zack exchanged glances. "Well, he _is _coming with us," Zack began. Kandi nodded and turned to take off her gloves. Zack looked at Cloud. "Akalara is pregnant, with Seph's kid. She's probably about as far along as I am. When we leave, they're going, too. Separate routes, but they'll be leaving as well."

"Is that why she's mad?" Cloud asked. "The General knocked up her friend?"

"No, it's because the arrogant bastard found out from a loud-mouth bitch of a doctor that he was supposedly sterile and couldn't father children with a human female," Kandi spat out.

"But they made up, right?" Zack said with a smile. "I knew he loved her too much to let her go."

"Yeah, but he didn't believe Ak when she told him she never cheated on him. He made her cry, the stupid prick," Kandi snarled as she stepped up to the punching bag again and hit it with her left hand, hard. The air was filled with a sickening crack and the red-streaked woman paled. "Fuck," she winced, holding her hand protectively.

Zack took her hand in his and removed the tape gently, shaking his head. "What did I tell you?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, wincing again as he squeezed her hand.

"More than likely a hairline fracture," he said. He looked over at Cloud. "You got any Restore materia on you?"

Cloud checked his armlet and shook his head. "Nope, sorry," he said.

Zack nodded and wrapped his arm around Kandi. "I got some in my office," he said. "Let's go."

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Kandi's hand was back to normal and she was checking her email on her laptop in Zack's office as the SOLDIER and Cloud started talking about the details of the journey they would soon be making. She was giggling at something Christine had sent her when her cell phone rang. Checking the caller ID, she grinned, flipping her phone open.

"Sup, ReRe-chan?"

_"Where the fuck are you?!" _came the frazzled reply.

Kandi's feet dropped to the floor at the frantic sound of her friend's voice. "Zack's office," she answered. "What's wrong?"

_"Blackspike with you?"_

"Yeah, and Chocobo Head. Why?"

_"I'll be there in five."_

Kandi looked at her phone as the line went dead. Zack and Cloud looked over at her. "Who was that?" Zack asked, taking a sip of his 6up. He was dealing with his nausea better. As long as he didn't get too hungry, he was fine. The mornings were the worst, though. Eight plus hours without food? Not good.

"Reno," Kandi answered, scrolling through her email again. "He'll be here soon. Sounded kinda hyper."

Less than five minutes later, Reno burst into the office, closing the door behind him. He jumped onto the couch beside Kandi and grabbed her laptop, pulling up an Interweb browser and typing in an address.

"Hey!" Kandi protested as he worked. "You know, you could ask."

Reno turned the computer to her and gestured to the screen. "Look!" he nearly shrieked.

Kandi looked at the computer and paled. "Oh my gods!" she exclaimed. "Who the fuck put this on here?"

"I don't know!" Reno yelled, pulling at his hair. "But the worse thing isn't the fucking sex." He scrolled to the beginning of the video featuring their freakishly folicled friends. He stopped it and it began playing, with a bad dub of some terrible porn dialogue. "Anyone who can read lips can see what they're really talking about."

By this time, Zack and Cloud had gathered by the other two, watching the amateur porn starring Sephiroth and Akalara.

"What are they talking about?" Cloud asked softly.

Reno looked at Zack and he nodded that Cloud was in the know. "They're talking about the baby," he said. "We've got to get this down, now."

Kandi nodded, picking up her laptop and heading into a different path on the Interweb. "Zacky, you better go tell Seph and Ak about this," she said, glancing over at him as she typed frantically on her computer. "I'll get this down and trace it back to who did it."

"Can you really do that?" Cloud asked skeptically.

"If anyone can, she can," Reno said, sliding closer to her and watching her. "If you need to get into IT, let me know. I can get you there."

Kandi nodded as she worked. Zack leaned over and kissed her cheek. "C'mon, Spike," he said rushing out the door, Cloud on his heels.

Reno watched as the red-streaked hacker worked. The footage was down in less that ten minutes and then she was tracing the path back to the poster. "Hey Reno?" she asked as she typed quickly on the laptop.

"Yeah, Babe?"

"Question."

"Shoot."

"How the fuck did you find this in the first place?" she asked, a slight curve to her lips.

Reno snickered and flicked her hair. "Amateur porn is a fetish of mine," he said. "I was looking for some stuff for me and Lily to watch later."

"Freak," she snickered.

"You know it."

More clicking and then an evil grin spread across Kandi's lips. She turned to Reno. "Got 'im," she said.

Reno high-fived her. "Righteous, Babe," he said, rising to his feet and holding his hand out to help her up. "Now, time to watch the carnage."

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_**A/N: Oh noes! Da pr0nz! I wonder if Seph will forgive Kandi from withholding the sterility information from him since she took down the would-be infamous sex tape? Hmm...only time (and Queen) shall tell. Reviews are loved!**_


	24. Son of a Bitch!

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor:** I had actually come up with a scenerio for what comes next after this chapter closes, but I think I'll leave that bit to Amazon. She's the assassination specialist, after all, and both myself and teh maniac have already had fun torturing him. The two OCs have two separate owners; one is mine and I am seriously considering selling him once Amazon's done with him, and the other originally belongs to ChaosDynasty, who I haven't seen on here for awhile. You still out there, Chaos?

Son of a Bitch!

Zack glanced up at a clock and cursed softly; at this time of day, Sephiroth would be working in his office and Akalara would be in the trainees' gym "They're in two places right now, Spike. I'll get Seph. You get Ak."

"Where is she?" the blond inquired, matching Zack step for step down the hall.

"In the Turk trainee gym, on level 57. Cloud nodded and took off for the stairs. Zack kept going down the hall, and finally came to Sephiroth's office. Just as he raised his hand to grab the knob, a haughty voice stopped him.

"I heard a silly rumor, General. That you and that little hooker in the training program are dating now."

"It's not a rumor. We are seeing each other. And I'll thank you to not refer to her as such again, Sergeant."

"You can't be serious! You and that green-haired _freak?!_ She looks like a Yuletide decoration! She was an exotic dancer! A whore!"

Sephiroth made a growling noise, audible even through the door. "Watch your tongue, Sergeant."

"Did you know that she lived on the streets, General? That she was in a gang responsible for half of the destruction, break-ins, and violence in Sector 5?"

"I am well aware of her past."

"Then why would you spend time with her?" the woman shrieked. Zack groaned as he recognized the voice; it was Sergeant Reyna, she who had nearly given himself, Reno, and Sephiroth heart attacks when she had turned up pregnant almost a year ago. "She's a worthless, freakish, gold-digging, diseased little ugly criminal whore!"

There was an enraged snarl, then the shriek of metal as something tore through it. Zack, deciding he had heard enough, threw the door open. Reyna was standing close to the far wall of the rather spacious office, her azure eyes wide with shock, absolutely motionless. The reason for her shock quivered less than an inch away from her head, about half its length buried in the wall. Evidently, Sephiroth had thrown Masamune at her after that last comment.

As for the silver-haired man, he was standing up and leaning over his desk, palms flat on the wooden surface. Zack could practically see fire in his eyes, so brightly were they glowing. "I told you to watch your tongue, Sergeant. Fail to do so again, and you _will _lose it." He stalked out from behind the desk and yanked his sword from the wall, staring hatefully into the woman's eyes. Satisfied that she was sufficiently terrified, he returned to his desk. "You are dismissed."

Reyna fled as soon as he was seated, shoving past Zack as if he was a rookie who didn't outrank her by one full class. The black-haired SOLDIER paid her no mind; he firmly shut the door behind her and approached his silver-haired friend.

"Seph, we have a problem."

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Cloud glared up at the stubborn Turk blocking the way into the trainees' gym, wishing he could just knock the guy out and get inside. But decking a Turk was never a good idea to begin with, especially not when the rest of them were either just a few floors up or right behind the door this one was guarding.

"I need to speak with one of the trainees!" he shouted for the fifth time.

The Turk, a tall fellow with reddish-brown crewcut in desperate need of a razor, merely shrugged. "Which one? There are quite a few, as I'm sure you know."

"Akalara!"

"You a friend of hers?"

Cloud hesitated. He knew the green-haired teenager and had hung out with her a few times, but he wasn't as tight with her as Zack was. "Sort of."

The Turk crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb, his hand dangerously close to his EMR. "She's in a lesson right now. Cissnei hates it when her lessons are interrupted, and that gal is one of her favorite pupils."

"Look, man..."

"Rod."

"Huh?"

"The name's Rod." He stuck out a hand in greeting. "How do?"

"Will you just - "

"You know, it's very rude to not tell someone your name when they've given you theirs."

"Fine. I'm Cloud. Now I need to talk to Akalara, so will you please let me in?"

"No can do. Only those affiliated with the Turks can set foot in the trainees' gym."

Cloud's hands twitched with the desire to strangle Rod, but he managed to surpress the urge. "Then will you go in and get her for me?"

"Who?"

"Akalara!"

Rods smiled condescendingly at him. "All right, Cloud, no need to shout. But tell me one thing. Why would a little shrimp like you want to talk with a knockout like her?"

"Because Reno told me to get her for him!" the blond yelled, thinking that the elder Turk's name would get things moving. This guy was the newest addition to the Turks, if rumors were true. He wouldn't disobey an order from one of his more experienced collegues, would he?

"Ahh." The rust-haired man nodded sagely. "Now we're getting somewhere."

"Does that mean you'll get her for me?"

"Just tell me why Reno wants her."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "What do _you _think?"

"Now I know that's a lie, because Reno knows that General Sephiroth is dating Akalara. And Reno also knows what the general would do to him if he so much as laid a finger on her. Reno's a smart guy; he knows when a fling will get him killed. Or castrated. Or both." Rod pushed off from the doorjamb, sauntering forward a couple of steps. Cloud backed up warily. "So I know that's not why you're here." He grabbed his EMR and snapped it out in one swift movement, the weapon buzzing with electricity. "So tell me, Cloud. What do you want Akalara for? And you'd better be honest, 'cause I'm not about to go easy on some pervert."

"I already told you! Reno wants to see her!"

Rod's teeth shone. "Wrong answer, man."

He reared back and started to swing, but the door opened behind him. "Rod, what are you doing?"

"Cissnei!" The rust-haired Turk turned to face the shorter woman. "I was just dealing with this asshole. He claims Reno wants to see Akalara, and that's a lie, since Sephiroth would kill him if he touched her."

"Actually, he's telling the truth. Reno just called me and told me that he needs to talk to her, so he gave his permission for her to get out of class." Cissnei stepped aside, allowing Akalara out into the hall. "I'll see you next week, Akalara. Work on your throwing until then, okay? I want you to bullseye with shuriken by next class."

"Sure thing, Cissnei." The green-haired teen turned to Cloud with a wave to her teacher, ignoring Rod's open-mouthed shock. "What does Reno want with me, Cloud?"

"I can't say anything here. But I can tell you it involves you and Sephiroth," the blond reported, falling in step with the older teenager. He glanced back at Rod as they took off down the hall, Akalara running for the elevators and Cloud attempting to keep up. "That guy's a total dick."

"Who, Rod? Oh, don't mind him. The Turks saved his life just like Seph saved mine. He owes them a lot, so he does his best to protect their future, namely we trainees."

"He would have zapped my balls off if Cissnei hadn't stopped him," the blond muttered sullenly.

"I never said he was without fault, Cloud." The forest-tressed female frantically punched the elevator button with her thumb, trying to make the car arrive faster. "He was in a gang just like me, and to him violence gets answers a lot faster than questions alone."

Cloud shook his head. "You know, I'm suddenly really happy that I grew up in such a small town."

Akalara exhaled slowly as the elevator doors rang, signaling the arrival of the car. "Be very thankful."

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"I'm going to kill him," Sephiroth growled, staring at the footage of himself and the woman he loved. Kandi had copied the file onto a flashdrive to show them what had previously been posted on the Interweb site. "I will rip him apart with my bare hands. Slowly. One miniscule piece at a time."

"I don't blame you, Seph. The footage is bad enough, but what you're saying only makes it worse!" Reno stabbed a finger at the laptop currently occupying Zack's desk, at the image of Sephiroth fingering Akalara. "Reading lips is easy. And the word 'baby' is as recognizable as they come!"

"Didja find out who posted it, Kandi?" Zack asked.

The red-streaked woman nodded, typing furiously on the keyboard. "The poster is named 'shinincockmaster'. As for who that corny screen-name belongs to, I'm working on that now. I almost had it a while back, but then all these firewalls and security measures popped up. Whoever this belongs to went to a lot of trouble to keep his account up and running. I'll have these doused and our poster's name momentarily."

"What's going on?" Akalara asked as she and Cloud skidded to a stop within the office.

"Close the door, Spike," Zack instructed, going to sit on his couch. He opened another 6up with a queasy look on his face.

As Coud obeyed, Reno approaced his green-haired friend and former orgy partner. "I was surging the Web and found a porno of you and Seph having sex somewhere."

Akalara went deathly pale, her glowing cranberry eyes wide. "What?"

"It gets worse." Reno put his hands on her shoulders, bracing and forcing her to listen to him. "The footage shows you and Seph talking during the first part. It's got a really bad voiceover on it, but if you can read lips, you can tell what you're talking about."

Akalara stared at him, horrified, then broke free and ran to Sephiroth, who immediately whirled and wrapped her in his arms, their baby secure between their bodies. "Not the baby?" she asked softly, her voice tight with fear. "Please, not the baby!"

Sephiroth lifted her so she could lock her arms around his neck and held her close. "The baby," he confirmed, the edge of anger deepening his voice.

"Hojo doesn't know. Tell me Hojo doesn't know!" she begged hysterically, staring at the laptop's screen over his shoulder.

"Hojo isn't into amateur porn," Reno assured her. "There isn't much chance that he saw this, Ak."

"And even if he did, he'd need company approval to bring you in. You're really recognizable right now, and people would ask questions if you just disappeared. Hojo wouldn't be able to just swipe you like he could've before you and Seph became official." Kandi typed some more, and a victorious smile split her face in two. "Got 'im. This time for real."

"Who's the punk?" Zack asked, closing his eyes and leaning back against the couch.

"You're not gonna believe this, but..." The red-streaked woman rolled to the side, allowing her friends to get a look at the monitor.

Reno took one look and let out an enraged snarl. "Razor?! That asshole is behind this?!"

"Yep. I don't know how, but he was the guy who posted it."

"Razor?" Sephiroth turned so he could see the laptop. "That footage was from the helicopter ride back to Midgar, before we refueled in Costa del Sol. I had her facing me for the remainder of the trip after the first time."

"How did he get the footage? As a dishonorably discharged ex-SOLDIER, he shouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the chopper," Zack pointed out.

"Maybe he paid somebody off." Reno kicked the trashcan, sending it flying into the wall. "Bastard's got more than enough gil to bribe the pilot or something."

Akalara turned her head to face them, her face partially hidden by Sephiroth's metal pauldron. "You know, I didn't recognize our pilot during the trip to Costa del Sol. The relief pilot was Sage. He trains in the gym sometimes, and I've seen him racing with most of the other pilots. But I didn't recognize the first guy."

"He never took off his sunglasses," Sephiroth remembered. "Never spoke, not once..."

"Could he have disguised himself as a pilot?" Cloud piped up.

"That asshole was a decent pilot," Reno grudgingly admitted. "It was something else we fought over: who was the better flier. I always won, but he never stopped trying."

"But why would he sell footage of Ak and Seph to an Interweb porn site?" Zack asked, getting up and heading for his bathroom, swallowing between words. "He's got...plenty of money...already."

Probably no reason whatsoever." Kandi winced as the door shut and they all heard Zack's last meal making an encore presentation. "He's done this before, remember?"

"He has?" Cloud asked, scratching his spikes.

"Yeah. He somehow taped Akalara and myself making love in my bedroom and posted it on the SOLDIER chat room three months ago." Sephiroth let Akalara slide slowly down his body when she unlocked her arms. Once on the floor, she leaned over the laptop to look at Razor's profile, still clutching his hand in hers. "Most of SOLDIER saw it before it was taken down."

"He had catcalls and solicitations for weeks after that," the green-haired female growled, cranberry eyes flaring dangerously. "I lost track of how many women I wanted to mutilate because of that."

"Ak had a lot of offers, too. Turns out the footage was in nightvision; a lot of guys wanted to find out if Ak's hair is naturally green," Kandi commented, causing a bright red blush to rise on Cloud's face. Whatsamatter, Spike? Had that same question?"

Cloud flushed harder, and his eyes widened in sheer terror when Sephiroth looked at him. He backed away, raising his hands to ward off the silver-haired man's wrath. "No! She's not the girl I'm interested in! I mean, she's a gorgeous woman and all, and she's got a beautiful body, but I'm not interested! I swear I'm not!"

Reno laughed hard and went to the blond, laying a friendly arm across his shoulders. "I think you'd better stop talking before your foot gets too far down your throat," he advised. "You can look, but don't touch. Seph won't share anymore."

"And never again," Sephiroth said, flashing his familiar smirk at the blond teen, further unnerving him.

"So anyway, what are we going to do about him?" Kandi asked, waving at the computer. "I think it's perfectly clear that he isn't going to stop tormenting us just because he was kicked out of SOLDIER."

"I think it'd be best to just get rid of him. Permanently," Reno stated with an evil grin.

The toilet flushed, and a very pale Zack stepped out of the bathroom to flop down on the couch. "So what? We kill Razor?"

Sephiroth nodded, his hand tightening on Akalara's. "We kill Razor."


	25. Razor Must Die Pt 1

**Queen's Quornor: **Amazon has complied, and sent her next chapter. The next one should also be hers, unless teh maniac sends me his next one. Following that, there should be a change in the fic.

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_**A/N: I know, I know. I'm a terrible friend and a terrible co-author. I leave poor Queen and teh maniac high and dry and low and wet (respectively) with no further development of the plot. Bad, AT. Bad. Now, I shall have to endure a spanking by my favorite bishies. (evil grin)**_

_**Disclaimer: We own nothing but the OC's...well, some of them.**_

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Razor Must Die Pt. 1

"I don't like it," Zack stated with a glare.

"Tough shit," Kandi said, applying the rest of her make-up. "It's a good plan, so this is what we're doing."

"What if you get hurt?" he asked, concern showing in his eyes.

His secretary shook her head and patted his cheek. "Better me then you or Ak, huh?" she replied. She stepped back and continued getting ready. "Besides, I'm not going to get hurt. It's not like I'm doing this alone."

"I still don't like it," Zack grumbled, arms crossed over his chest.

"Relax, Blackspike," Reno told him and placing a hand on the SOLDIER's shoulder. "We're all gonna be right there if something happens. You're acting like she's the one knocked up, not you."

"Fuck you, Reno," Zack snarled. "Why does she get to be bait? Why not you in drag? You kinda got a girly look about you."

"Why, Zack, I'm flattered you noticed," Reno teased, batting his eyelashes at him. Kandi snickered at that. Reno opened his jacket further, revealing his partially-buttoned shirt. "I got the hips, but I lack the rack. And our girl here, has plenty to spare. Nice shirt, by the way, Kandi."

Kandi smirked. "Thanks, Re," she answered, spraying a bit of perfume on the rack in question. She tousled her hair a bit, giving it that just-got-out-of-bed-after-a-serious-fucking look. She stuck her tongue out at her reflection and turned around, spreading her arms. "Slutty enough? I still a little of the Hive left in me, eh?"

She definitely did. Black bootie shorts and a black halter corset that laced up the sides. And let's not forget the black fishnets and knee-high stiletto boots. Kandi loved those boots. She accessorized with black and red sex bracelets on one arm and a black leather slave bracelet on the other. Silver hoop earrings with dangling handcuffs in the middle and a matching choker completed the titillating ensemble.

"If you were any younger, I'd call you jail-bait," Reno whistled.

"No, that would be Cloud in this get-up," Kandi smirked, casting a wink to the younger teenager. "I'm legal."

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think I'd be caught dead in girls' clothes?" he asked. "There is no way in hell I would ever dress in drag!"

Zack rubbed his chin. "You know, I could see you in a sparkly, purple dress and a long blond wig," he said jokingly. "And heels."

"And a thong," Reno added over Kandi and Zack's laughter.

The door opened and Sephiroth and Akalara walked in. The General took in the fuming, scarlet blond cadet and the three laughing hyenas and shook his head. "Let's leave the torture for Razor, not Cloud, shall we?" he asked.

Cloud shot him a grateful look and rose to his feet. "I got the bike like you asked for, Sir," he told the silver-haired male, handing him the keys. "It's gassed up and ready to go."

Sephiroth nodded and looked at the keys before handing them to the bait...er, Kandi. "You'll be driving a bike tonight," he told her.

Kandi ran her tongue over her teeth and snatched the keys. "Bitchin'," she said, swatting her hands at Reno's as he tried to stick his finger in her ear. "Knock it the fuck off!"

"It's a transmitter, Genius," he grunted, holding the device up. "Fits right in your ear, can't be seen, but you can communicate with us and us with you. We'll be able to hear everything and be able to move in if the need arises."

Kandi let him place the device in her ear. "Can it be detected?" she asked. "You know, like in the club? I know some places have like a metal detector for weapons and shit."

"This is standard Turk recon gear. Can't be detected," Reno reassured her. He pulled out a contact lens case and handed it to her. "These will give us visual. They have a microscopic cameral lens in them. Stick 'em in your eyes and we can see what you see." He smirked at her. "No one has technology like we do."

"My inner geek just had a freakin' orgasm," Kandi said with a grin. She finished putting in the contacts and rubbed her hands together. "Let's get this party started."

KRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKR (KILL RAZOR!)

The club was packed, even for a Saturday night. The line was wrapped around the block, at least a forty-five minute wait to get in.

The black and silver street bike roared to the curb and skidded to a stop. The helmet was removed and long red-streaked brown hair tumbled in slow motion movie fashion from the inside, cascading over bare shoulders and back. The woman settled the helmet on the bike and swung one long black leather-covered leg over the handle bars, landing on the street easily. She caught eyes with the bouncer and grabbed the waist of leather chaps, ripping them off her body in one fluid movement. Grinning, she started walking toward the front of the line, never breaking eye contact with the bouncer. As she approached, he stepped to the side and held the door opened for her, allowing her in instantly.

Razor smirked from his position in line. Zack's secretary was alone tonight. Nice.

Fifteen minutes later, he was granted entrance to the club. His eyes instantly found the woman, dancing with a tall black-haired man. Well, not dancing. Grinding, more like. Fuck it, it was vertical sex. And he wanted a piece of it.

Ordering two drinks, he dropped a tablet into the one intended for her. Making his way through the writhing bodies, he nudged her arm and motioned to a back corner table. Kandi rolled her eyes and continued dancing with the other guy. Razor shrugged and continued on to the table, alone.

He watched her the entire time, wondering why she was alone. She normally had the other two sluts and the three idiots with her. They never went out without each other. Razor had to admit, his curiosity was piqued.

Finally, she left the dance floor and made her way to the bar. He jumped from his seat and went to stand beside her.

"Whatever this gorgeous lady wants, it's on me," he told the bartender suavely.

Kandi, again, rolled her eyes. "Thanks, but no thanks, asshole," she snorted. "I don't trust anything from you, even if it's poured by someone else."

"Harsh," Razor hissed through his teeth. "Now what have I ever done to you, m'dear?"

Kandi took her tequila from the bartender and slammed it down, turning to face Razor. "Oh, let's see…" she said, tapping her finger to her chin thoughtfully. "You freaking made Ak and Lily's lives a living hell."

"I said you, love, not those little bitches you call friends," Razor countered with a smile, sipping his whiskey.

"Attempted rape?" she asked. "You drugged my coffee, you asshole."

"You sure that was me?" he asked innocently. "It could have been Zack."

Kandi snorted again, gesturing for another shot. "Zack doesn't have to drug me. He gets it whenever he wants," she told him with a smirk. Her face fell a bit as she drank the shot down. "At least, he used to."

Razor's eyebrow arched in question. This was interesting. "Oh?" he asked. "What changed?"

Kandi rolled her eyes again, reaching over the bar and grabbing the bottle of tequila for herself. Razor admired her ass as she did. She plopped down on her bar stool and took a healthy drink from the bottle. "He's got a new girl," she told him. "Some chick in Sector 5 or something. He doesn't need me anymore."

Razor scooted closer to her as she continued to drink. "Is that why you're alone?" he asked. She stared at the tequila and nodded. "Where are the others?"

"Didn't you hear?" she asked. He shook his head, feigning ignorance. "Seph and Ak are a couple now. They don't do the whole swinging thing anymore. And Reno and Lily, fuck. I don't know. She's been having some more performances lately and he's been going with her. They forgot about me. It sucks."

"They suck," he told her, lifting her chin with his fingers. She was close to being completely wasted, he could tell. Easy pickings. "You're better than them. I've always though so, anyway."

She slapped his hand away. "Whatever," she grumbled, jumping off the bar stool. She began making her way back to the dance floor when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him, his lips crushing against hers. She heard an unmistakable Zack growl in her ear, followed by several people shushing him.

Razor broke the kiss and looked down at her. "Listen, you're alone, I'm alone," he began. "We can hook up and neither of us will be alone. Sound good?"

"Fuck no," she growled. "I wouldn't waste my time with a cocksucker like you. You're an ass. You're nowhere near the man Zack is."

"Ah, but dear Zackary isn't here, is he?" Razor hissed into her ear. "He's off with another girl, not with you."

He looked down into her eyes and noticed the tears beginning to form. "So why don't you be a good little slut and come with me? I'll even pay you so you can still be a fucking little whore."

"I'll fucking kill him!" Zack yelled in her ear, enough to make her flinch. Razor's smirk grew and his grip on her tightened, his hands moving up to her shoulders. He brought his forehead to hers and snapped his neck forward at the last second, head-butting her hard enough for her to black out.

Scooping her up into his arms, Razor sauntered out the door. He smiled to the bouncer. "My girlfriend can't hold her liquor," he said with a laugh. One eyebrow arched behind the black sunglasses as the bouncer stepped aside. "Thanks, Bud."

Razor stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to look at the large, bald man. "You don't need to drive," he explained. "Let me get you a cab."

"That's not necessary," Razor stated. "I haven't had that much. I can drive."

"Club policy," the low voice growled at him, flagging down a yellow taxi. The bald man opened the back door and shoved him and the unconscious woman in. He looked into the front passenger's window and lowered his sunglasses. "You know where to take them?"

The blond cab driver turned and smiled, the action reaching his bright blue eyes. "Got it, Baldy," he said, shifting the car into drive and peeling off into the night.

The bouncer watched as the car sped off then took out his cell phone. "Reno," Rude said. "Cloud's got them. They're on their way."

Reno closed his cell phone with a smile. "They're coming," he said, a sadistic grin covering his face.

KRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKRKR (KILL RAZOR!)

_**A/N: OMG! I cannot write anymore! Razor is in custody, I will have to kill him in the next chapter! My Muse's are wiped!**_


	26. Razor Must Die Pt 2

**Queen's Quornor: **And thus the fate of everybody's most hated asshole is revealed. Amazon, you did good! Okay, now we've got a time-shift coming up in my and her half of the fic next. But first, Maniac, I think it's your turn.

RMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMD

_**A/N: (shrugging off Reno and Demyx) I already told you! You are now left to your own devices! I can't handle the blood loss anymore! (enters WMHB fic-verse) First time writing yaoi and I have to have fifty blood transfusions. No more! Well, at least until my platelets revive.**_

_**Disclaimer: Plot ours, OC's ours, canon characters ours (in our overactive and highly hormonal imaginations).**_

RMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMD (RAZOR MUST DIE!)

Razor Must Die Pt. 2

Razor glanced nervously at the taxi driver, trying to figure out where he knew the kid from. There was no ID badge on the back of the seat, leaving the other man wondering what was going on.

"Uh, how do you know where to go?" he asked timidly. "I haven't even told you my address."

The blonde smirked in the rear view mirror. "I just know," he said. "I'm that good of a taxi driver. Even though... Technically, I'm not old enough to have a license."

"The fuck?!" Razor exclaimed. "Who are you? Where are you taking us?"

"How is she?" Cloud asked, ignoring him blatantly. "What did you do to her? Drug her?"

Razor looked down at the unconscious woman slumped in the seat next to him. A large, dark bruise was forming on her forehead, a trickle of blood leaving a trail between her eyes and down to her nose. "No, she's fine," he answered.

"She fucking better be," Cloud grumbled, turning down a side road that led to a part of Midgar Razor didn't recognize. The taxi came to a stop at a traffic light and Razor decided to bail out, leaving his unconscious companion to the strange cab driver. He tried the door, but found that it was locked. Trying to manually pry the lock up, he found he couldn't do it. Cloud laughed lightly. "Child protection locks," he explained. "Can only be opened from the outside."

"Where are you taking me?!" Razor shrieked, pounding on the protective glass between him and the driver. "Who are you?"

"Cloud Strife," the driver answered. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna do anything to you. I'm just the delivery boy."

Razor's face paled as the car slowed down in front of a dark building, the street lights flickering off and on. Razor had a bad feeling about this. He didn't have time to think about it, however, as his door was flung open and he was pulled out of the taxi roughly. Cloud got out of the driver's side and pulled Kandi out of the car gently and into his arms. Razor's head was yanked back and his blood ran cold as he looked into furious peridot eyes.

"Hello, Razor," Sephiroth growled.

"Oh shit," the man whispered as he was dragged into the building. He learned quickly that it was an old abandoned warehouse. His life was going to end in a bad cliche. He just knew it.

He didn't even think to scream or yell. He was too terrified to move, let alone make any noise. He stumbled as Sephiroth threw him into the center of the floor in the main part of the warehouse. Razor scrambled to sit up, looking around his surroundings. The place was empty except for a few old boxes and crates and a very menacing-looking crane hook that was moving downwards toward him. He quickly found himself stripped and bound, his cuffed hands being fastened to the hook, the tips of his toes barely touching the ground.

"Do you know why you're here, Razor?" Sephiroth asked, pacing before him with his hands clasped behind his back. Razor shook his head, fear showing plainly in his eyes. "Really? I find that hard to believe, considering all the wrongs you have done to our group."

Razor looked around, seeing those who were in on this with Sephiroth. Of course, his slut of a woman was with him, hellish red eyes blazing daggers at him. His second-in-command, Zack, was kneeling next to the red-streaked bitch, checking to see if she was all right. Razor really hoped the bitch would die, setting him up like this. He continued to survey the others. The stupid Strife kid was beside Zack, seeing to the whore as well. Then there was that smoking hot bellydancer and... Well, well, well. Reno.

"What can you do to me, huh?" Razor smirked, his fear being masked by overconfidence. "Aunt Scarlet will have you all terminated for anything you do to me, and believe me, I will tell her."

"Dead men kinda lack the abillity to talk, Razor," Reno drawled out, slinging an arm around Lily. "You ain't leaving here alive."

"You always sucked at bluffing, Reno," Razor spat out. "Look, I'll let you off easy, okay? If you let me go now, I won't tell Scarlet, who won't get the Prez to donate you all to Hojo for dissecting. She has her weekly blowjob with him on Monday, so all will be good if you let me go now, okay? Good. Now let me down."

Zack rose from his place on the floor and stormed over to the bound man, thrusting both fists into his kidneys. Razor cried out in agony, his voice changing to a scream as the First Class shattered his shoulder blades as well.

"Zackary, don't over-exert yourself," Sephiroth reprimanded. "You are in a delicate condition."

"I'll be fine, Seph," Zack growled. "Let me get my digs in first. Kandi ain't gonna be conscious for this, it seems. Fucker knocked her out good."

The General nodded and stepped back. "Continue then," he answered.

"What did I do?!" Razor screamed, feeling more of his bones shatter against the force of Zack's blows. "Why are you doing this to me?!"

"What haven't you done?!" Zack yelled. "You've tortured our girls for a long-ass time, you son of a bitch! You've shattered Kandi's skull, for fuck's sake!"

Akalara started. "Is she going to be okay?" she asked.

Cloud nodded and administered another potion to the woman. "She'll be fine," he said softly.

"And then of course, there's your amateur porn site," Zack continued, snapping Razor's left femur. "Which would have warranted just a routine ass-kicking, except you captured something that we don't want exposed to the Planet."

"That was just innocent voyeurism," Razor explained through broken pants. "Come on! I mean, the General and his woman are a hot commodity! You can't blame me for that! You should be flattered!"

Zack stepped back, slightly winded and clutching his stomach protectively. "I'm done," he panted. "I'm done."

Akalara stepped forward and wrapped her arm around her friend. "You did good, Zack," she said sweetly, leading him toward Cloud and Kandi. "She'll be proud of you."

Zack sat down and took a bottle of water from Cloud, sipping it slightly. Sephiroth turned toward Reno and gestured to Razor. "Would you care to take it from here, Reno?" he asked suavely.

Reno smirked and grabbed Lily's hand, grabbing a sack containing his 'toy' from the floor. "Thanks, yo," he replied as they walked over to Razor. He stopped, facing the condemned man. "Ya know, I kinda got a sweet job," he began. "Yeah, see, Turks get to do all sorts of surveillance and shit, espionage, assassinations, all that shit. Kinda cool." He reached into his jacket pocked and pulled out a pair of latex gloves. "Gotta be careful," he said with a grin as he pulled his 'toy' out of the sack. It was a twelve-inch long standard vibrator, in hot pink, the leftover lube and feces dried onto the device left from its previous user. "This little baby I found on a routine sweep of the building. Betcha never guess where?"

Lily was suppressing the urge to vomit as Reno trailed the vibrator over Razor's lips. "Yeah, this fucker was in Palmer's private stash," he snickered as he grabbed Razor's chin with his fingers and forced his mouth open, shoving the toy inside. "Suck," he ordered. "It's the only lube you're gonna get before this bastard is shoved up your ass."

Razor gagged as the toy was placed in his mouth. Reno glared. "If you puke, I'll shove it in dry," he growled. "Suck."

Razor did as ordered, closing his eyes against the foul taste in his mouth. After what seemed like ages, Reno removed the toy. Razor swished his saliva in his mouth to try and clean it out, then aimed to spit at Lily. Reno saw this and covered his mouth with his gloved hand, forcing the saliva back down his throat. "Bad form, Razor," he snarled, spinning the man around and shoving the vibrator up his ass. Razor screamed in pain as Reno activated the vibrating feature. "Oh, forgot to tell you," he snickered. He hit another button and thirteen spikes opened up inside of his passage, ripping him apart. "This fucker's been modified for masochists. Hope you like it."

Razor bit his lip until it bled, tears of agony streaming from his eyes. "You bastard," he gasped out. "You godsdamn bastard."

"That would be you, Bud," Reno answered. "You fucked with us for the last time. You couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? We were content to let you live out your life in disgrace after our last little tiff. But you had to be a dick and keep going, didn't you? Oh well," he said with a shrug of the shoulders. "We've wanted to do this for a long time."

He slipped off the gloves and shoved them in Razor's mouth, his aquamarine eyes sparkling in pure sadistic joy. "Your turn, Seph," he said, taking Lily's hand and leading her away.

Sephiroth turned to Akalara and kissed her gently. "You trust me to take care of this?" he asked softly.

His green-haired lover smiled and cast Razor a glare full of hate. "Completely," she answered. She rested her hand over her belly. "I'll be right here, watching you."

Sephiroth nodded and stepped toward Razor, unsheathing Masamune as he walked. "You are probably wondering what it is you discovered that we wish to keep secret," he began. "I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of knowing. You are too insignificant for that. But I will tell you this: your body will never be found. No one will know what happened to you. You will become no more than a passing observation, forgotten a moment after being uttered until no one remembers your name. That is your reward for the life you have lived."

Razor, despite his pain, glared at the silver-haired general. "Who died and made you a god?" he spat out.

Sephiroth snarled and backhanded the man hard across the face before plunging Masamune through his chest. Razor choked as blood filled his mouth, his lungs quickly filling with the crimson liquid. Sephiroth twisted the blade, finally ending the life of the man who constantly tortured them.

"Wow," Cloud whispered in awe as he stared at one of his childhood heroes. "I would hate to be at the receiving end of that."

Zack chuckled slightly. "No worries, Spike," he told him, stroking Kandi's hair gently as her head rested in his lap. "We're buds with Seph. Not a chance of that ever happening."

Reno did a scan on Razor once Sephiroth removed Masamune from his chest. "Dead," he said with a grin. He reached into his pocket and produced a device he pilfered from the Weapons Development floor. "Now, let's see how this baby works."

He aimed the device at Razor, a beam of light emitting from the end. They all watched as all traces of Razor, down to the blood dripping onto the floor, simply vaporized. Akalara pulled out a black light and ran it over the area Razor had been; no blood was detected.

"Nice," she said with a nod. "Seems Scarlet finally made something worthwhile."

Sephiroth pulled the green-haired teen to him, kissing the top of her head. "Well, that's the end of it," he said. "We won't have to worry about him anymore."

"Now comes the hard part," Zack said, looking up at them all. "We've got to start preparing to leave. I figure we've got a month and a half, two months, tops."

Lily buried her head in Reno's shoulder, trying to fight back her tears. The red-head had told her what was going down, and though she understood the need, she hated to see their friends leave. "Whatever we can do to help," she said softly, "let us know."

"Thank you, Lily," Sephiroth answered sincerely.

Zack looked down at Kandi, relieved to see her finally opening her eyes. She winced and looked around, hand going to her head.

"Hey," Zack said gently as he smiled down at her.

"Hey," she replied, trying to sit up but being hit with a wave of nausea as she did. "What happened?"

Cloud leaned over her and grinned. "You missed all the fun," he smirked before sticking his tongue out at her. Kandi reached up and grabbed his throat, choking him.

"You little ass!" she hissed. She released the blonde and looked up at Zack. "Did I really?"

Zack nodded. "You were out for the whole time," he said sympathetically. "Sorry, Babe."

"Gods damn it, I always miss the good parts," she grumbled as she drifted back off to sleep. Zack looked over at Cloud, who held a glowing orb of materia sheepishly. The black-haired SOLDIER raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Cloud asked. He looked at the materia and grinned. "I needed the practice?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "Cloud, you get to carry her, then," he ordered. "Let's go. I, for one, don't want to be here any longer."

Akalara wrapped her arms around him as they exited the building. "What next?" she asked softly. "Are we really leaving soon?"

Sephiroth looked down at her, his eyes focused and grim. "The sooner the better."

RMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMDRMD (RAZOR MUST DIE!)

_**A/N: Hooray! He's dead! He's dead! He's dead! Oh, and teh maniac...I think I beat you on the Razor torture! Palmer's used vibrator? Oh hellz yeah!**_


	27. Recruited

**Queen's Quornor: **A little more tweaking of the timeline here. The original AVALANCHE, headed by Elfe, has already been replaced by the AVALANCHE we all know and love, the second incarnation. That might actually be how it is canonically anyway, but I have no idea. I wasn't fortunate enough to have played Before Crisis. Give kudos to Maniac here; friend and fellow author certainly deserves it. Oh, and in the next chapter we're skipping ahead a bit.

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**Multiple re-writes, and a crate of Budweiser (which is a shit beer, don't drink it lest you learn the hard way) and two crates of Pepsi Max to celebrate confirmation of university place brings you this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Plot is shared between the three of us, the OC characters belong to Amazon and Queen. The canon characters are all mine MWA-HA-HA! Oh wait; have to conquer the world first before that happens.** **World domination first, or exterminating Uwe Boll first, whichever works out.**

Recruited

"Jessie, are you insane?" Wedge asked her. His jaw couldn't have dropped lower if he had dug a convenient tunnel to the centre of the earth.

"What do you mean?"

"You know. The outsider."

"Her name is Tifa."

"I don't care! For all we know she could be a heavy Shinra sympathizer or worse, an operative!"

"She's only 16."

"Wouldn't stop them. From the reports that you got, Turk training starts from as young as 5 years old. Wouldn't be above them to send kids on a hit."

"Listen to me. If I can find out what she was doing in Junon and why she needs to get to Midgar in such a hurry, we can find out whether she'll join us or not. Let's face it, we're short on manpower here. Most of our people got caught up with the Crescent squad back in Wutai so they're gone. It's just the three of us here in Junon, and Biggs hasn't made it back here yet!"

"Fine, if you can get me proof that she's not a spy and if she'll agree to join up…we'll take her on board," Wedge conceded. She did have a point. They needed help desperately in any form. Even if it was just another pair of arms to move stuff around, they'd take it.

"Thanks, Wedge. You're the best."

"Does that mean you're gonna call me 'Bossman'? If I am the best here, that is."

"No."

--

Tifa was resting in a small house near the lower entrance. She'd been here for a few days now, stuck since Jessie's friend had run into some problems. From what she had heard, the words used were 'sick of this mother-fucking snake in this mother-fucking marsh' followed by a lot of chocobo noises. Whatever that meant.

"Hey Tifa?" Jessie asked, opening the door slightly.

"Yes Jessie?"

"Why did you say you needed to get to Midgar?" she asked.

"Um…"

"Come on, you can tell me."

"Well, there was this guy, childhood friend. Two years ago he left to join SOLDIER, to impress me. I haven't heard from him since then, so I wanted to see if I could find him."

"Oh…" Jessie turned around, unpleasant memories of the past before AVALANCHE coming up to the surface.

"What? Something I said?"

"No, it's just been there, done that." _Got my heart broken_. Jessie added mentally, clutching the locket around her neck.

"Really? Did you find him?" Tifa asked.

"No."

"Oh. I guess they have their own sort of rules for that, and unless its one of the really famous First Classes…"

"He was dead," Jessie interrupted. Tifa was stunned. "Killed testing new Shinra robotic weaponry in the field. And the worst thing? No one got notified about it. To them it was just another grunt in about a million recruits they have going. No black-edged letter, no stamp to say: signed by whoever the hell was in charge at the time, nothing. They didn't even tell his parents, heartless bastards." She cursed, her hand balling into a fist. "Even I had to find out by myself. I had to hack the database for information on all military personnel."

"So you're saying he might already be dead."

"He could be. Tifa?"

"Yes?"

"Have you seen what the mako reactor did to Nibelheim, turning the mountains into something out of a horror novel?"

"I was born after it was finished. I never knew they could be any other way."

"Do you ever wonder what would happen if that reactor would be destroyed?"

"Why?"

"Tifa, I'm not going to lie to you. Finding out about the one I loved the hard way gave me a grudge to settle. With the people who killed him, who kept his death hidden from me. I'm currently one of the highest ranking members of AVALANCHE. Shinra… they work off exploiting dreams, whether it's to be famous, to protect others... It's just a web of lies."

"Do... Do you want me to join you?"

"I just don't want to see someone else get hurt the way I did."

--

"Did you get an answer?" Wedge asked as the unofficial leader came down the stairs to the hideout, a dejected look on her face

"No."

"Shit, do you reckon she'll tell anyone else about us?"

"You and Biggs are safe. She only knows about me, not about the hideout."

"Well that's, something I guess. But you probably are going to end up with a price on your head."

"I know… But aren't we all?"

"True." Biggs mused, turning back to the computer screen with direct feed to the latest news. It appears that former 2nd class SOLDIER and relative of Shinra executive Razor Worthington was missing, last seen at an upper plate club, suspected dead. _Guess we're not the only ones who want those bastards dead. _"Wedge back already? Thought he was still around the chocobo farm." Biggs asked at the sound of footsteps.

"Cloud Strife."

"Tifa?" Jessie spun around to see Tifa Lockheart at the bottom of the stairs with a determined look on her face

"Find out all you can from Shinra databases about Cloud Strife, and I'll join."

"Sure thing, Teef."

"Hey, now that we've got an extra member here, do you reckon we can get a new hideout. Because there's this bar idea I've been thinking about, to help finance this whole operation. We aren't getting much hiding out under the weapons store," Biggs suggested only to be met with WTH looks "What?"

--

**Before anyone asks: yes I did have that back story for Jessie planned when I first mentioned the locket in chapter 17 but didn't think of when the appropriate time was to reveal it. Go me and my half-assed back story ideas. And at least I have more characters to use now.**


	28. It Begins

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor:** Two months have gone by, and preparations have been made. Zack's still been suffering from morning sickness, and Akalara's been fending off jealous little bitches. But now, I think it's time to kick things into high gear. I don't know how fast or slow the fic will move from this point on. We'll just have to see where the muses take us.

It Begins

Dr. Quorra walked through the halls of Shinra's Medical Facility, looking through Zack's ultrasound readings and lab results. . At three and a half months, the baby was growing at a steady rate and remained healthy, as would any normal fetus. Zack, likewise, was in good health. He was still suffering from morning sickness and a very sensitive stomach, but other than that the doctor could see no reason to suspect that anything could be amiss with the expectant First Class.

Akalara was also in perfect pre-natal health, at two months along. The two mothers-to-be were spending a lot of time together these days, always discussing the babies and how to protect them. She knew they were exchanging notes on pregnancy and how best to take care of themselves for the next six to seven months. Kandi and Sephiroth, the expectant fathers, had been busy working out escape plans and some kind of code to allow them to communicate over the cell phones without somebody else figuring out what they were talking about. Reno was sneaking them technology that would be useful to them when they ran, and helping Kandi access the IT department so she could begin setting up an encrypted link between their phones and Reno, Lily, and Christine's. Everyone, it seemed, was prepared for the eventual escape.

Quorra had a plan of her own. In about five months, if Zack and Kandi agreed to it, she'd be going on a vacation. If they chose to flee to Fort Condor she'd meet up with them and perform a ceasarean on the pregnant SOLDIER. If they chose Mideel instead, she would pass the case to a good friend of hers who made his home there.

Musing on the future, she didn't realize that her office was open and the desklight was on until she was just outside the door. Hearing somebody muttering from within, Quorra ducked to the side of the doorframe. Quickly, silently, she peered inside her office.

Hojo stood with his back to her, holding an MRI scan up to the lamp on her desk. "So that's why the hormones were wrong," he cackled. "He's pregnant!"

Quorra froze, feeling the blood drain from her face. Then she turned and ran, fleeing her office. She'd forgotten that Hojo routinely analyzed hormones in blood samples as a part of monitering the effects mako had on SOLDIERs and Turks. And both Zack and Akalara had blood and urine tests taken today, along with the rest of Shinra's military personnel.

Now that he knew about Zack, nothing would stop him from trying to drag the pregnant SOLDIER into his laboratory. And so Quorra ran, hoping that the four of them were all together so precious time would not be lost in contacting them.

KZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZKZ

"Hojo knows?!" Kandi felt her heart stop at the dreaded phrase. Clutching the phone to her ear, seeing Zack's terrified violet eyes staring at her from his place on the couch, she returned her attention to the woman on the other end of the phone. "Are you certain?"

_"I caught him rooting through my file cabinet, Kandi. He was specifically reading Zack's file." _The doctor's voice was high, but tightly controlled. _"I'm so sorry. I forgot that he, or rather the Science Department, controls the medical facilities and personnel here. It never occured to me that he'd have a master keycard to all of the offices, including mine. Otherwise I'd have kept Zack's scans, tests, and ultrasound readings in a different file in my personal safe."_

Zack yanked the phone away from the red-streaked woman, one hand protectively splayed over his gently-swollen belly. "How much time do we have, Doc?"

_"I don't know. But it's my professional opinion that you need to get out of Midgar tonight. Hojo will stop at nothing to get you in his lab, Zack. There's no telling what he'll do to you and the baby."_

The SOLDIER nodded tightly. "Is there somewhere we can go? I'm not about to save this baby from Hojo only to lose it because I can't deliver it."

_"Fort Condor. Or Mideel," _Quorra replied instantly. _"The fort's as anti-Shinra as a place can get, and fairly well-defended. With so many mercenary soldiers, there's a decent group of medical personnel attending, with adequate facilities. I could slip out and join you there."_

"And Mideel?"

_"As far as I know, there's little in the way of Shinra on the island. It's mostly a retirement resort, with a population mostly that consists of the elderly. But there's an excellent clinic there, with one of the best physicians in the world attending." _Quorra cleared her throat. _"He's a friend of mine. You can trust him."_

"All right." Zack reached out and pulled Kandi to him in a desperate hug. "We'll talk it over with our friends."

Kandi started, brown eyes widening. "Did Hojo find out about Ak?"

_"I don't know. But it's only a matter of time until he does. She's five weeks behind you, Zack. And he's not stupid."_ Quorra sighed into the phone. _"But they have more options than you, for biological reasons. Akalara is in perfect health, and has good wide hips. She can deliver naturally, if necessary."_

"We'll tell them." Zack took a deep breath. "What about you? When we disappear, Hojo will know you helped us."

_"I'll be all right. I'm one of Shinra's best doctors, and Head of the Medical Facility. There isn't much he can do to me. Besides, if you go to the fort, I'll join you. If you choose Mideel, I'll fax your files to my friend. Just call me when you decide."_

"Will do, Doc. Thank you." Zack hung up the phone, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Or rather, he tried to. Kandi was clutching him too tightly. "Babe... Need air..."

"Sorry," she mumbled, loosening her death-grip enough for him to breathe. "We have to tell the others."

"I know." Zack shoved one hand through his hair, gripping the roots tight. "Dammit, I'd hoped we'd have a bit longer to prepare!"

"We're all ready to go. We've all got those armlets I made, with All and Fire, Lightning, Earth, Ice, or whatever materia paired up in them. And Disguise materia." Kandi licked her lips nervously and pulled out her cell phone. "Plus Reno, Chris, and Lily can warn us when the pursuit's getting too close. We're as prepared as we're gonna get."

"What about all that gil you're supposed to take from Shinra?"

"I've already transferred about 100,000 gil into each of our accounts, and we've all been taking it out as fast as I can get it in. Along with all the mastered Alls we can sell, that should be enough. No point in pissing Shinra off even more than we have to." The red-streaked woman flipped open her phone and hit Reno's number. "Let's call the others."

"Agreed." Zack nodded and called Sephiroth.

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

Sephiroth stirred, hearing the chorus to Ephemeral's "Going Under" coming from his nightstand. Turning onto his back, he groped for his phone, finding it after the second ring started. "Hello?" he inquired groggily, feeling Akalara likewise waking up.

_"Seph, we've got a big problem. Hojo found out about me."_ Zack's voice was like a splash of cold water, snapping the silver-haired man's brain out of sleep and into full awareness. _"Dr. Quorra found him going through her files."_

"He knows?" Sephiroth's eyes immediately went to his dozing love, and his heart pounded in his chest with fear. "Does he know about Akalara?"

_"No idea. But Kandi and I are getting out of here tonight. Cloud, too."_

"Where to?" Sephiroth asked, rolling out of bed and grabbing for his pants.

_"Mideel or Fort Condor."_ Zack paused. _"Are you going, too?"_

"It's only a matter of time before we're found out, too. It's best if we slip out as well."

_"Where are you planning on going?"_

Sephiroth took a deep, calming breath. "We decided isolation is a better option than simply disguising ourselves every day, at least until the baby is born. We're going to the Forgotten City, after we dig up a Lunar Harp. The Forgotten City is isolated and difficult to access. And both Bone Village and Icesicle Inn are less than fifty miles away. Should we need to run, either are good options. Once the baby is born, however, we might have to run elsewhere. Fort Condor, most likely."

_"Cool. We can meet up and show off our Spawn there."_ There was a swallowing sound on the other end of the line. _"Think we can meet up before we hit the road? Just to decide what we're going to do, I mean."_

Sephiroth thought about it. "Kalm. We'll meet up in Kalm. From there you, Kandi, and Cloud can either go to the fort, or run to the coast and get someone to take you to Mideel. We can begin making our way to Junon."

_"Junon? Seph, that's Shinra's military base! You'll be caught for sure if you go there!"_

"Lower Junon still belongs to simple fishermen," Sephiroth explained. "Fishermen who hate Shinra for polluting the water, killing the fish, and stealing their livelihood. With the Disguise materia, I'm sure Akalara and I can find somebody willing to cross Shinra by transporting us to Bone Village. If nothing else, we can steal a boat."

_"Okay, fine. So you've figured it out. We've gotta go, Seph. See ya in Kalm!"_

"Wait! What should we look for?"

_"Seph, Disguise materia can't change eye color. If you don't find us, we'll find you." _Zack paused, then _"Bye."_

"Farewell." Sephiroth snapped his phone shut, and shook Akalara's shoulder. "Akalara, wake up. We've got to go."

"Mmm-why?" she mumbled into the pillow, eyes closed.

The silver-haired man leaned down, brushing some of her hair away from her ear. "Hojo knows about Zack."

The green-haired teen's eyes shot open, and she sat up quickly. "What?! How?!" Her eyes flared with panic and one hand flew to cover her stomach. "Does he know about us too?"

"I don't know. But we've got to get out of here now, tonight." Sephiroth stood up and finished pulling on his pants, and Akalara grabbed for her own clothes. "The backpacks are ready to go."

"Zexion, Masai, and Xemnas are all with Chris and Reno."

"You've got your weapons?"

"Of course. With as much ammo as I could stuff into my backpack." Akalara fastened her pants, then threaded a special belt through the loops; she had replaced the empty shells on a normal bullet-belt with live ammunition. When a clip ran empty, she could fill it with what was on her belt. And in her vest, and pockets. She'd been stocking up on both boxes and clips of ammo for the past few weeks, as well as extra guns. She and Sephiroth would both have huge loads to carry, but they didn't really mind. They'd also gotten Reno to slip them one of the modified Turk vehicles for their purposes. The jeep was already loaded with their supplies, and waiting in the garage beneath the dorms. All they needed to do was take themselves and their backpacks down to it.

"So Junon first, right?" Akalara asked, pulling her tank-top down over her breasts.

"Actually, we're stopping in Kalm first, to meet up with the others to solidify our future plans." Sephiroth shrugged into his coat and began fastening it. "Once we've figured out where we're meeting and when after the babies are born, we'll leave for Junon."

"Do you have the books, Seph?" the forest-haired teen inquired, grabbing her bullet-stuffed vest and stepping into her boots.

"At the bottom of the bag." Having chosen isolation, the couple had been forced to accept that Akalara would have to give birth naturally, and Sephiroth would have to help her. So he had been reading up on the subject of childbirth and midwifery in preparation for the eventual delivery of their child. "Are you ready?"

Akalara finished arming herself, her .45s ready in thigh holsters, 9mms on her hips, kunai hanging from her belt, and a combat knife sheathed in her boot. "Ready. The shotgun's in the jeep."

"Sniper rifle?"

"Same."

"Good. Materia?"

She held up her arm and used her other hand to point at her guns. Along with the armlets Kandi had given them, there were materia slots in all of her weapons. All of them were currently occupied, some with materia controlling the elements, others with enhancement materia to stave off the effects of so much offensive magic.

"Let's go." Sephiroth and Akalara shouldered their backpacks, then the silver-haired man took his Disguise materia out of his pocket. Holding it over his love's head, he modified her appearance so she looked like herself, without the heavy backpack and weapons. He put her in her Turk trainee uniform, but a little more disheveled than usual, as if they had slipped into his apartment for a quick rubdown. Once her disguise was complete, he held the yellow orb over his own head and likewise removed his pack, replacing his usual leathers withe the simple sweatclothes he wore for workouts. There was a weight room on the second floor of each of Shinra's dorms. Akalara and Sephiroth would sometimes go down and work out if they couldn't sleep and didn't particularly feel like having sex right then. If somebody saw them on their way down to the garage, they wouldn't think twice about it.

Hopefully.

Putting the materia away, the silver-haired man took his love's hand, his gloved fingers tangling with hers, then lead her down the hall toward the elevators.

HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOE

"So... Two specimens as opposed to one." Hojo leaned back in his subordinate's chair, looking down at Akalara's open file. "Zackary Fair is pregnant, and that secretary is the child's sire. This female is also with child. Conceivably, the child is Sephiroth's. But that is impossible. No human woman could carry his offspring.

"Unless...

"Ah yes, of course! That must be the answer." Hojo tucked Akalara and Zack's files under his arm and shut off Dr. Quorra's desklight. "I am a genius, after all. She could be the result of Project R. Those files should be in my personal records." An insane cackle bubbled from his lips as he closed the door behind him. "Oh, Raelynn. You really should be here to see the culmination of the experiment."

Walking down the hall, the mad Wutaian pulled out his phone and called one of his assigned Turks. "I need you to bring me SOLDIER First Class Zackary Fair and Turk trainee Akalara Forrest. I need to run some tests on them. There seems to be something amiss with their biological makeup, and I suspect the mako may be at fault."

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

Sephiroth watched the numbers flashing above the door with worried peridot eyes. Akalara's hand remained secure in his, their gloved palms pressed close and her naked digits knotted with his covered ones. Her free hand rested atop her womb, as if shielding their child from prying eyes.

The elevator car dropped steadily, no one else wishing to get on. It was late on Saturday night; most of the dorms' inhabitants were out on the town getting drunk and attempting to get laid.

But not everybody. Akalara's stomach contracted fearfully as the car jerked to a stop, and tried to pull her hand out of Sephiroth's, dropping her other hand to the side. Her silver-haired love, however, was having none of it. He easily kept her hand in his as the doors opened.

Cissnei stood there, cuffs in one hand. "General Sephiroth, trainee Akalara. I'm going to have to ask you to get out of the elevator."

"For what reason?" Sephiroth asked, fingers tightening on his love's.

"Professor Hojo wants to run some tests on Akalara. There's something wrong with her biological readings, and he wants to make sure it isn't anything serious." Cissnei gestured to the hallway. "I'm sorry, Akalara. But if you want to be a Turk, this must be resolved. Please come with me to the labs."

"She will do no such thing," Sephiroth snarled.

"I know that you hate Hojo and that your hatred has merit, General," the chestnut-haired woman told him firmly. "But this isn't about you."

"Actually, it is." Akalara took one step forward.

"Ak..."

"Seph, we can trust her." Cranberry eyes bored into peridot, begging him to have faith in her. She'd come to know Cissnei fairly well in the past few months, and while dedicated to her job, the brown-eyed Turk wasn't above letting her feelings interfere with an assignment. If anything went against her sense of right and wrong, she'd sometimes go against what was expected of her. And if there was one place where Cissnei's morality never wavered, it was with children.

Sephiroth searched her face, then nodded shortly before turning his famous glare upon the Turk. To her credit, Cissnei didn't so much as flinch.

Akalara stepped into Sephiroth, looking into the other woman's eyes. "Cissnei, the reason Hojo wants me in the labs is this." She pressed a hand to her lower abdomen, seeing the Turk's chestnut eyes flare in realization. "I'm carrying something that, according to Hojo, shouldn't exist. Scan me if you don't believe me."

Cissnei frowned, then dug a small device out of her pocket. "Don't move," she warned, firing it up. The scanner beeped as she pointed it at the green-haired teen, then Cissnei's eyes went wide and she stared at Akalara in shock. "You're not lying."

Akalara shook her head. "You know Hojo. You know what he'd do to me, just to figure out how this happened. Please, Cissnei. For the life I carry, let us go!"

The Turk bit her lip, then her eyes flicked to the security camera mounted off to the side of the elevators. As she put the device back in her pocket, on the hip opposite the camera, her fingers curled into a quick message in Turk Sign: _trust me._ "Let's go, Akalara. We mustn't keep the professor waiting."

Akalara carefully put herself between Sephiroth and Cissnei as the chestnut-haired woman got on the elevator. To her knowledge, the silver-haired man didn't know Turk Sign. The last thing she wanted was for him to attack Cissnei thinking that she was going to drag her away to the labs. As soon as the doors closed, Cissnei turned to them.

"If you want to get out of the building, to say nothing of Midgar, you're going to have to disguise yourselves. Hojo will have all of my collegues after you before the night is over. Do you have a route planned?"

"We do," Sephiroth replied in a clipped tone, squeezing Akalara's hand gently.

"Good. Here." Cissnei pulled out a yellow materia of her own and passed it to them. "I have a spare, and that one's mastered. Use it, and get out of Midgar. I don't think I'll be able to help you if you get caught."

"We won't get caught," Akalara promised. "Thank you, Cissnei. For everything."

The brown-eyed woman nodded, then turned away as Sephiroth held their new Disguise materia over the trainee's head.


	29. The Chase

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor: **I was waiting for Amazon to get me her next chapter, but she doesn't seem to be feeling so good lately (and with good reason). So I figured I'd go on ahead and post mine instead, since so many of you have been asking me to update. Maniac's next chapter can't be posted until a couple of days have passed in the storyline, but his is ready to go. Go tell Amazon to feel better soon, okay? Oh, and I have no idea when Verdot deserted Shinra in relation to the Nibelheim incident, so I'm going to say that he's already gone and Tseng's Turk Leader now.

The Chase

"How are we supposed to get out of here, Seph?" Akalara asked, sliding into the passenger's seat of the jeep. She reached down to check the shotgun in its holster beneath the glovebox; it was loose enough for a quick draw. She pulled the gun out enough to crack and load it.

Sephiroth climbed in beside her and settled into the driver's seat, inserting the key and coaxing the engine to life. "We're going to have to go fast, but not too fast," he explained tersely. "We don't want to look suspicious unless it becomes necessary. With any luck, Cissnei was the only person sent to collect us."

"You know that won't be the case. There's no way she could subdue both of us. Hojo would know that."

"Then let's be thankful that these windows are tinted." For the third time that night Sephiroth utilized Disguise materia, giving himself softer features and shoulder-length black hair, as well as a thick, gnarled scar that slashed across his right eye and twisted his lips. His clothes underwent a change from the sweatsuit to blue jeans and a rather offensive t-shirt. He handed the yellow orb over to his teenaged love so she could modify her own appearance, glancing around for any security cameras. Akalara changed her disheveled trainee uniform for a denim vest, jeans, and red high-top sneakers. As for her newest temporary looks, she chose to give herself short blond hair, tanned skin sprinkled with a generous amount of freckles, and peach-fuzz. Her stomach lost what little growth had been attained over the past two months, her breasts vanished, and Sephiroth did a double-take when he realized there was now a teenage boy sitting in the passenger's seat, calmly pocketing the materia.

"Yes?" 'he' asked with a cheeky grin.

He just shook his head and put the jeep into reverse, pulling out of the parking place and heading for the exit.

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

They almost made it. They had been only a mile away from the city wall, just driving along the road that ultimately led outside Midgar, when Shinra-issue motorcycles had come up behind them.

Sephiroth cursed and hit the gas. "They want us to stop? Somebody must have realized Cissnei let us go. Can you hold them off, Ak?"

"Shoot to kill or shoot to crash?" the teen asked, pulling out the shotgun and pumping the slide. A glance in the mirrors revealed a total of five bikes accelerating to catch up with the jeep.

"Shoot to crash. We don't need a blood vendetta with the Security Department, and we have to get out of here before SOLDIER gets deployed."

"Jam the road. Gotcha." Akalara hit the button for her window and pointed the shotgun at the motorcycle pulling up beside the jeep. He shot at her, but the bullet missed her by a mile. The masculinized teen, however, didn't flinch. Her shot shredded his bike's front tire, sending him crashing to the asphalt with an alarmed yelp. Another pump of the slide, and a second bike went down, taking a third with it.

Akalara swung back inside the jeep and fumbled with the small box that held their spare materia, lurching as Sephiroth jerked the wheel to one side.

"We've got company," he snarled.

The Turk trainee popped the box open, found the materia she was looking for, and cursed when she saw what was coming up behind them. There were easily twenty SOLDIERs clogging the road, with a sidecar on several of the bikes. The sidecars held infantrymen armed with rifles, both normal grunts and captains.

"How far's the exit?" she demanded, exchanging one of the materia in her armlet for the other.

"Half a mile." Sephiroth glanced at her, then reached one hand out to touch her. One of his materia glowed as he cast a spell. "Be careful, Ak!"

"You worry about the road! I'll take care of these guys." Akalara swung her upper body out the window again and called a spell from the materia, aiming at the road rather than the bikes. The infantrymen opened fire, and most of the bullets were deflected by the barrier Sephiroth had placed on her. A few tried to shoot at the jeep's driver, but none of those shots did more than dent the back. But as the asphalt opened up in a gaping hole and most of the SOLDIERs drove straight into it, one of the MPs got lucky. Akalara jerked and almost fell out of the window as a bullet tore through her left shoulder, a pained cry choked off in her throat.

Four of the bikes had shot past the spell before it took shape, and they loomed closer every second. The teen ignored her love's alarmed shout at her near-fall and slipped inside to worm her way into the back to crouch in the limited space between their bags and boxes and the rear hatch. She kicked out the back window, safety glass proving no match for repeated strikes, and used the jeep's own frame to support her shotgun's barrel while she aimed with her right hand, the left having gone completely numb.

One bike went down. Akalara pulled the gun back inside, held it by the slide, then jerked it sharply up and down. Another round chambered, she took aim at another front tire. This bike clipped the one to its left, and both SOLDIERs kissed the asphalt with a hair-raising shriek of metal. The teen jerked the gun again, but the final SOLDIER was too close to crash. He raised his arm, a materia gleaming on his wrist.

Akalara grit her teeth and pulled the trigger. The SOLDIER's head exploded like an overripe melon, splattering the jeep, her, and the road with gore.

She fell back against one of the backpacks piled into the back of the vehicle, dropping the gun to quickly probe her shoulder. She hissed in pain and pressed it into the backpack, pushing her palm against the entry wound while casting about for their potions box.

"Akalara, what happened?" Sephiroth called.

"Road's clear!" she replied, spotting the box. "We're home-free, Seph."

"No, I meant what happened to you."

The teen reached out, trying to get the box without removing her shoulder from the backpack. "I got shot. But it's not too bad. The bullet went straight through and didn't hit anything too important. We're both okay." Her fingers scrabbled against the box uselessly. "Can you swerve the vehicle to the right, Seph? I need a potion."

The jeep immediately went to the right and Akalara snagged the box as it slid into her reach. With a flick of her wrist she released the lid, and pulled out a bottle. "Thanks, Seph!"

"Are you sure you're all right?"

The teen smiled despite herself and clutched the bottle between her legs. Unscrewing the top with her right hand, she called back to her love "I'm all right, and so's the baby. Don't you dare stop this jeep until we're safe, Seph!"

"I still want to check the wound myself," he asserted stubbornly.

"You do that, Seph. But get us out of Midgar first!" She raised the potion to her lips and downed it swiftly, grimacing as she lowered the bottle. She'd never really liked the taste of energy drinks, and potions were far too close to them as far as her palate was concerned. As she tossed the bottle out the window, she felt a sudden wave of vertigo wash over her, tingles spreading from her shoulder throughout her body.

Dimly she wondered why she felt so tired all of a sudden. She hadn't been bleeding enough for this, had she? Or... Had they done something to those bullets?

As she collapsed against the backpack once more, her last thoughts were for her unborn child.

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

Tseng nodded tightly, listening to the breathless report on his cell phone with no visible emotion. Reno and Rude stood at attention before his desk, the bald man far more composed than his lanky partner. Reno was nervously switching his weight from foot to foot every so often, crossing his arm then clasping his hands before him only to cross them a moment later.

"Thank you, Cissnei. Continue surveillance, but switch to Hojo." He snapped the phone shut, then looked to his two senior Turks. "They made it out of Midgar in one piece. Most of the men and women sent after them crashed in a pit that suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. There was one casualty."

"So what now? Are we supposed to hunt them down and drag them back to Midgar?" Reno demanded, his temper finally rearing its head. "Hojo will tear Ak apart trying to figure out how the fuck Seph knocked her up!"

"The Turks will not get involved in the pursuit," Tseng assured him, folding his hands upon his desk. "Sephiroth is far too dangerous an opponent, and will fight with everything he has to protect Akalara and their child. We would only get killed if we try to capture them. The army will pursue them instead."

"And the other three?" Rude rumbled.

"We are to pursue them, yes. However," he continued, holding up a hand to cut off Reno's protest, "Hojo never specifically stated _when_ they are to be captured. We will trail after them, but never quite manage to subdue and capture them. A SOLDIER First Class is quite an awesome opponent, after all, despite the unorthodox condition Zack is currently in. I have no doubt that Kandi and Cloud will also put up quite a fight if forced into a confrontation."

"And what about Seph and Ak?" Reno demanded, slamming his hands down on Tseng's desk. "Seph is the most powerful man on the whole damn Planet, but he can't fight off the entire fucking army! Even he has to slow down and take a breather eventually! The man's not a fucking machine!"

"Reno - "

"And once he goes down, Ak's easy pickings! She's damn good for a trainee, and I've never seen her miss with a gun of any kind, but she's preggers! And if they catch her in the third trimester, she won't be able to fight anyway!"

"Reno..."

"They'll take down Seph with sheer numbers, capture Ak, and drag her back to the labs so Hojo can make her his personal pincushion! How the fuck can you let that happen, Tseng? For Ifrit's sake, she was going to be one of us! Hell, she _is _one of us! You're the one that said trainees are as good as Turks already! We can't just sit back and let that sick fucker rip their kid right outta her like that!"

"Reno!" The sharp exclamation from his usually-silent partner shocked the agitated redhead out of his tirade, allowing Tseng to speak.

"We're not going to let Hojo get his hands on either one of them."

"But you just said - "

"No, you weren't listening. I said that the Turks weren't going to pursue Sephiroth and Akalara. But I never said we weren't going to help them out a little." He settled back in his chair, steepling his fingers as a sly smirk spread across his lips. "After all, who knows what might happen if some of SOLDIER's equipment is...tampered with? Or if the army receives false information?"

Reno's aqua eyes lit up and a similar smile appeared on his face. "Permission to fuck up, sir?"

Tseng nodded. "Permission to fuck up the army's pursuit, granted."

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

A sudden sting forced her back to consciousness. She jerked, and hands were suddenly there, holding her down. She fought against the hands, panic surging through her mind.

"Akalara, it's all right. Calm down, calm down..."

She blinked, relaxing when she realized who was holding her. The Disguise materia had worn off, and the silver hair and glowing peridot eyes were unmistakable. "What happened?"

Sephiroth released her, and picked up the hydrogen peroxide and cottonball laying on the potion box. "Those weren't ordinary bullets, Ak. They were sedative-projectiles. When you were shot, enough was left behind to affect you once the adrenaline flow tapered off. Don't worry; the sedative shouldn't have any repercussions for our child."

"Where are we?" the green-haired teen asked, hissing as he dabbed at the flesh-wound left behind by the potion.

"The edge of the wasteland, in the cliffs. I found a cave big enough to drive the jeep into, and hid the entrance with your Earth materia." Sephiroth put the cottonball down and picked up a gauze pad and a roll of medical tape from the first-aid kit. They had agreed to use mundane healing methods rather than materia for minor wounds, just to keep their magic up. "The rock's dense enough that the FLIR cameras Shinra has on its helicopters won't find us. We should be safe until tomorrow night."

"Any problems getting out of the city?" she asked, watching him bandage the front part of her wound.

"No." He pulled her close so he could begin cleaning and bandaging the exit wound. "This must have been a very old potion. It should have completely healed you."

"What do you mean?" she asked, putting her arms around him and tensing as he reached for the hydrogen peroxide again.

"Potions lose potency over time. Hopefully not all them will be like this." He dabbed at the wound with a new cottonball, making Akalara dig her fingernails into his shoulders with a sharp intake of breath. "So you killed one of them."

Akalara thought back, then nodded slowly. "He was about to cast a spell, too close for me to crash him. I didn't have a choice."

"I figured as much. But you realize somebody is SOLDIER probably has a reason to hunt you down now." He picked up the gauze and tape once more. "Nevertheless, we already know all of Shinra is going to be after us. We just have to stay one step ahead of them."

"We can do it. For our baby's sake, we have to." Akalara settled more comfortably against him, feeling him tape the makeshift bandage to her shoulder. "How long will it take us to reach Kalm?"

"Two days, at least. We'll decide on a time and place to meet with our friends for future rendevouz, then leave for Junon the following day. From there we book passage, bribe, or steal a ship and make our way to Bone Village."

"Then dig up a Lunar Harp, hide out in the Forgotten City, and stay there until after the baby is born." She smiled softly against his shoulder, amused at how Sephiroth did not seem inclined to let her out of his arms yet. "Planning on keeping me like this for the rest of the night, Seph?"

"You could have been killed today, Ak. When you were shot, you almost fell out the window." He nuzzled her hair, holding her close. "I can't remember the last time my heart stopped. But it did then, even though I knew you had caught yourself."

The green-haired teen understood then: his pride wouldn't let him tell her outright, but he had been genuinely scared. For her, and the baby. Scared at the reality of possibly losing them both. "It's not going to be the only time, Seph. They won't stop unless we're captured, killed, or Hojo dies."

He breathed deep, then exhaled slowly. "I know. Even if I was to kill or incapacitate every last SOLDIER, infantryman, and MP Shinra had, they'd still recruit and train more to come after us. That's not even including the robots and mechs Scarlet's been developing, or the Turks."

"How many times can we beat the odds?" she wondered, burying her face against his neck. "Sooner or later..."

"Don't say it, Ak." The command was quiet, gentle, but she heard a thread of desperation underscoring the words. "We can't lose hope. As long as we have that, then they won't catch us. I won't let them touch you or our child, even if it means..."

"No!" She didn't want to hear the rest of that sentence. Didn't even want to consider the possibility. "We stay together. As long as we're together, they can't get us. It's when people get separated that bad things happen, so we're staying together."

"We might not have a choice in the future. But I swear, if we are somehow forced to part, I _will _come back to you. I'll always come back to you, no matter where you are."

Her arms tightened around him. "Still got LOVELESS stuck in your head, Seph?"

"It's the romantic in me, I suppose." He pressed a kiss to her temple, then settled his head against hers once more. "Just...let me hold you tonight, Ak. Let me know you're alive and safe, and that our child is all right. I really need to just hold you for awhile."

Akalara nodded, feeling the minute tremble vibrating along his skin. "We're safe. The danger will come tomorrow, but for now we're safe. I know I can trust you, Seph. Shinra might be afraid of your power, but I'm not."

"Because you know all of my power is going to be used to protect you and the baby. Shinra knows that I could easily destroy all of them if they take away the ones that I love."

The green-haired teen smiled sadly, knowing he was completely serious. If Hojo somehow managed to get his hands on her and the baby, nothing would stop Sephiroth from getting them back. But if either of them were somehow killed...

Then nothing, not even the Goddess herself, could save Shinra from his wrath.


	30. The Escape

**Queen's Quornor: **Give thanks to Amazon, for she really needs to feel better right now. Maniac, your chapter is up next, methinks.

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_**A/N: I'm alive...barely. For those of you who didn't know, the reason I have been out of commission lately is due to the fact that I have joined Zack and Akalara among the ranks of The Expecting; plus I have the chest/head cold from Hell. So, yeah...feeling sick and gross kinda kills The Muses, yeah? Oh, Zack, my boy, I feel your pain.**_

_**Disclaimer: We own nothing still...though we should, cos face it...we've taken it further than the creators ever dreamed.**_

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"Fuck, fuck, mother _fuck_!"

Cloud continued packing up the rest of his gear frantically, grabbing last-minute materia, items, anything he could think of that they hadn't already packed. Kandi had taken the majority of his gear and 'made arrangements for it', as she had said. What that meant, he had no fucking clue, but at this point, he didn't care.

They were about to make a run for it.

His door opened and he looked up fearfully, relief covering his face as Zack and Kandi stepped in.

"Ready, Spike?" Zack asked calmly, though his voice was tight with barely concealed tension.

Cloud nodded, zipping up his rucksack. "Yeah, I'm ready," he said, gathering up the bag. "Just a few last-minute things. Where's the jeep?"

Zack and Kandi exchanged glances. "Uh, no jeep," Zack said. "There's been a change of plans. We're taking motorcycles."

Cloud balked. "With all our gear and weapons?!" he asked. "How is that possible? We need all that stuff! You guys made the list of items up yourselves!"

Kandi rolled her eyes and grabbed Cloud's sack. "Shut up, you freakin' woman," she hissed, the warm glow of a spell extending from her hand to the bag, transforming it to a much smaller version of itself. She smirked as she stuffed the bag into her back pocket. "Ever wonder how I carry all the snacks around? Well...now ya know."

Cloud blinked. "Mini?" he asked. "You cast Mini on the stuff? _All _the stuff?"

She patted her utility vest. "All right here, Blondie," she said. "Now, we gotta go. Time to Disguise, Guys."

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"We are in pursuit of a jeep carrying General Sephiroth and Akalara Forrest," a Second Class was explaining. "We have been ordered to capture them and return them, preferably alive, but if that cannot be arranged, their bodies must still be intact for...examination."

Despite their training, the SOLDIERs present cringed. They were being ordered to go after their General, a man they all feared and respected, and the fact didn't settle very well for any of them.

Especially the three towards the back of the group, a blond, a red-head and a brunette.

"You have your orders. Go!"

The SOLDIERs jumped into action at the command, diving onto motorcycles, some teaming up with riflemen in their sidecars. The three separated to two bikes, the red-head taking the sidecar and the rifle, the blond driving him.

"We'll veer off when the shooting starts," the blond told the brunette, receiving an affirmative nod. "If we get separated, we'll meet near the cliffs."

"Right," the brunette answered, revving up his bike.

"I'll try to get a couple shots in before we part from the pack," the red-head said to the blond. "Try to shoot out some of the bike tires."

The blond nodded and straddled the bike. "Here we go, Boys," she said. "No turning back now."

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"Damn it, Ak's a good shot!" Zack hissed as he watched another bike fall in front of them. "We've got to break away now!"

Kandi nodded and signaled to Cloud, who followed, manuevering around the fallen SOLDIERs as they departed from the group in pursuit of their friends. They abandoned the bikes, shooting them, making it seem like they had been caught in the crosshairs of the shooter in the pursued jeep. Casting Haste on themselves, they made it to the outskirts of Kalm in no time.

"Another Disguise?" Cloud asked, breathlessly.

Zack nodded, clutching his stomach protectively. "From now on, we have to. We don't have any other choice."

"Yep," Kandi agreed, transforming herself into a tall male with short-cropped black hair. She passed the materia to Zack and grinned. "Come on, Honey. Time to put on your make-up."

Zack grumbled and transformed into a brunette female with large breasts. Passing the materia to Cloud, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Stop looking..._Son_."

Cloud glared and let the magic wash over him, suddenly feeling very...short. "Damn it, I'm ten again," he mumbled.

"Don't curse, Dear," Zack said, taking his hand and linking his arm through Kandi's. "It's not polite."

"Fuck off," Cloud muttered.

Kandi whacked him upside the head. "Don't speak to your mother that way, Boy," she said with a grin. "Or I'll tan yer hide."

"Good gods, when will this be over?"

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_**A/N: And that's all I have for now. I feel like dying...so I think I will. (dies)**_


	31. Where's the 'Oh Shit' Button?

**Queen's Quornor: **I owe an apology to Maniac. He sent me this chapter weeks ago, but I got caught up in school, sickness, ideas, and who knows what else. It's been sitting on my computer, ready to go, but I completely forgot about it. (_throws herself at Maniac's feet_) I'M SO SORRY!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!! (_is dragged away by Sephiroth and Kadaj, who talk some sense into her_). Okay, now that that's out of my system... Read, review, bitch me out for forgetting about this, praise Maniac for his patience, you get the idea.

Where's the 'Oh Shit! Button?

General Sephiroth's sudden disappearance was a nightmare to some people; it sent practically the whole army into disarray. Without someone to command them the remaining First Classes had to sort out everything by themselves, really giving them an insight as to how hard the alleged 'pampered poster boy' actually worked. At least when he was on leave to Wutai he had drawn up some plans for the poor sap who got the role of interim CO.

It was like the Genesis incident all over again combined with Lazard leaving, only without the clone troopers.

However, the lower rungs were in celebration; there was less to fear from the top order anymore. Sure, the First Classes were still strong enough, but united they would probably fall. It's knowledge that the people above you are inherently flawed and human, not the wrath of the heavens, which can stop a revolution before it happens.

One cadet was the happiest of all the MPs. He was pretty much off the hook.

Private Colins had managed to avoid telling the feared general about the disaster at sea, and since no one could force the truth by death stare or the fact that they wielded a sword long enough that the tip would come out of the mouth if rammed fully up some one's ass, he had simply told them that the locking mechanism had malfunctioned and the door had swung open.

No one was to blame for a lack of security, just some tech dorks who cocked things up.

At least, that's what he thought.

"Private Colins!"

"Yes sir?"

"Report to floor 49 immediately."

"Floor 49? That's the SOLDIER floor! What do they want me for?"

"Beats me, but they gave you a one-day access card and expect you in the briefing room sharp."

"Sir! Yes sir!"

He made his way out of the barracks and towards the most imposing sight in Midgar today, the Shinra building. It was the first part of Midgar to be built, 60 stories high, overlooking the whole of the plate which itself was 50 metres in the air. It gave people height-related nosebleeds just going up the elevators past the 20th floor. Still. at least it was SOLDIER who wanted him, not the Turks. Then he would really be in trouble.

"Private Colins, am I right?" one of the First Class committee asked.

"Yes sir." _If I was in trouble I would have the handcuffs on now, wouldn't I? _he reassured himself.

"You were on the SS Barricade when the accident on the Junon waterway occurred."

"Yes sir." _Uh-oh._

"You reported that it was a malfunction of a lock which endangered the crew and set the Big Tank creature, due for the labs at the military base, free."

"Yes sir." _Shit!_

"We have just received word from the Electronics Department that the lock was hacked into. Now the question is, Private, did this occur on the boat or beforehand?"

_If only I had the foresight to write my will before this._ "Permission to ask a question, sir?"

"Permission granted."

"Is this a disciplinary hearing?"

"No. At least, not yet," one of them replied. The cadet gulped before speaking again.

"It occurred on the boat. An anti-Shinra organization had infiltrated the unit, broke the lock after switching tranquilizers for hyper water, and escaped using materia, sir."

"Escape Materia? I didn't think it would allow someone to teleport off a sinking ship, unless they had a small extraction boat nearby, just waiting for this."

"I don't know the answer, sir."

"One last question, Private, then return to the barracks. Who stopped the monster non-lethally if the tranquilizers were lost?"

"I don't know. We were using materia and trying any spell we could, sir."

"Very well, dismissed." Collins couldn't have moved faster if he gained the superpowers of the Flash.

"Well?"

"It seems the situation is worse than we thought. First Sephiroth goes AWOL along with Zack, but now it seems we have a return of the AVALANCHE thing going on."

"AVALANCHE… Didn't the Turks take them out before?"

"Yes, but things like this have a nasty habit of rising from their graves because you didn't see the phoenix down in their hand. It's a splinter group for certain, but an organized one."

"You…you don't think Sephiroth left to join them?"

"If he has we are, in the non-phallic sense, fucked."

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"Not so tough now, are you? ARE YOU? That's right, that's what you get for messing with me, Biggs Darkstar!" Biggs proclaimed over the corpse of a newly-dead Midgar Zolom. That'll teach one giant snake to turn its back on someone equipped with a scattergun, a weapon similar to a shotgun but specifically designed to take out SOLDIER members at close range. That's when he heard the hissing. "Oh…shit. There's more of you guys? FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK!!!!!!!!"

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**Don't forget to review and remember, you have no right to complain about a lack of updates until you put one of my stories on alert. Seriously I have like 33 now.**


	32. AVALANCHE Files: Great Minds Think Alike

**Queen's Quornor: **Time to find out what the Jesse has been doing in Bigg's absence! Either I or Amazon will post next, probably me. Depends, I suppose.

**The Avalanche Files**

**And now for something completely different.**

**Warning: This chapter may contain large amounts of technical BS, this is so I don't have to explain myself for my uses of applied Phlebotinum in later chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own FF7, the phrase Phlebotinum (which was coined by a Buffy the Vampire Slayer producer), the OCs (so far) or Monty Python.**

If there was one organization in Shinra that the Junon AVALANCHE branch feared the most, it was the Turks. Master infiltrators, trained in most areas of combat to take on anyone without genetically-enhanced strength, they were counter-espionage when they weren't fighting a war against a clear threat. They had a level of subtlety compared to SOLDIER - whose motto seemed to be "Hit it with a sword until it breaks. If it doesn't break, hit it harder," - yet still were very destructive when it was deemed necessary.

But the part that scared AVALANCHE the most was that some of them had the option to specialise in hacking. Whenever they sneaked aboard a Shinra database or broke into to one of their confidential files, there was always the risk that they were doing the same to them.

Which is why whenever hacking the Shinra electric company, Jessie took every precaution possible, extra encryption matrices, an enigma password system so even if they broke the matrix they'd still get a lot of jibberish if they tried to read any of the files.

If there was any files on that machine at the time.

Fighting an enemy on the scale of Shinra was not as simple as dropping a bomb at the footsteps or shooting up an outpost. You had to cover your tracks. Make sure the only way they could know what was going on was to actually get down there, and that wasn't always a guarantee of success. There was always the chance that if a Turk or any Shinra member got in that the room would have to be destroyed with them in it. A scenario that she was fully prepared for.

Paranoid? Probably. The others also called her crazy for taking so many tranquilizer pills to eliminate the need for sleep. It worked; why else would she be up at 3:00 in the morning booting up the main computer, one completely separate from the rest with no connection to the outside world whatsoever apart from a few USB ports used for data stick transfers?

This held all of her secrets. Shinra wasn't the only one capable of high-tech equipment; they were just the only ones capable of mass-producing them.

_Welcome to the AVALANCHE project. Shinra will be crushed, by any means necessary._

_CD Projects_

_CD Materia amplifier_

The machine whirred slightly before presenting the blueprints to her own creation, the material amplifier.

It wasn't too different from the normal bracelet that some of the low ranking MPs occasionally wore, two linked materia slots with an average growth rate. What made it so special was that the conductive metal surrounding the materia had been removed and replaced with a compound made from highly concentrated dry ethers, a small amount of hero drink, and most importantly sealed in with a fibre made from the strings of a lunar harp and parts of the tubing used in mako reactors. With enough electricity running through the mix this amplified a materia's effect. It had yet to be tested with the standard combat materia, but it had already shown results.

A mastered Exit materia had proved that it could teleport Biggs long distances, from the middle of the ocean between Costa del Sol and Junon all the way to Kalm. Sure, it needed a bit of work so that the retrieval location could be pinpointed, but it was still progress over its regular effect of teleporting the user just out of range of whatever hungry monsters happened to fancy a light (or in the case of Wedge, not so light) snack.

She needed to run a few tests before sunrise, just to see if her theories were correct. Picking up her own amplifier she placed a yellow materia into one of the slots, coupled with a Turbo material in attempt to boost the affect.

"Disguise," she whispered as the field encircled her. A sense of vertigo overcame her as she soon found she was unable to find her legs, or her arms. She couldn't see any movement whatsoever. Looking into a nearby mirror all she saw in the reflection was a slight heat haze. Success.

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**Somewhat filler I know but at the moment it feels that I have to kill time before my arc collides with another. I got plans for then its just in between times is tough.**


	33. Finalizing the Plans

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor:** Argh, I really have messed up with this one, haven't I? Keeping it hanging for so long, when I had part of the next chapter written... I was behind on updating this even before I got the surgery! Well, I suppose that's part of the blame. The other parts go to my current obsession with one of the many mods for Baldur's Gate 2, my new PS3 (BOO-YEAH!!!), and my muses refusing to cooperate with me. They also stole one of my pages of notes; I can't find part of the story that I've had written down for at least a month now. Well, I hope you all forgive me for keeping you hanging for so long, and I hope my co-authors take pity on me and help revive this neglected fic of ours.

Finalizing the Plans

Akalara's knife sliced across the monster's throat as she flashed by, the gun in her other hand sending a bullet deep into the skull of another. She dropped to one knee a moment later, watching Masamune swish harmlessly over her head and cutting one leaping monster completely in half. From her lower position, she flung one hand out at the Sweepers charging towards Sephiroth's flank, sheathing them both in ice.

Masamune destroyed them on the next swing.

Akalara stood up and looked around, holstering her gun and going to wipe her knife on one of the dead critters. "Did the jeep survive?"

"Surprisingly, yes." Sephiroth stooped, picking up the newly-made materia orbs produced by their brief battle. "How did you know to get down without me telling you?"

"Fighting close-quarters with you in the VR room taught me the value of staying down. I saw you behind me, that's all."

"All that training did come in handy, then." The silver-haired man gave her the 9mm semi-automatic she had dropped in favor of her .45. "Here. It's jammed, right?"

"Yeah." She cleared the gun and picked up the dented bullet that popped out, slipping it into her vest and the gun into the holster on her thigh. "Pain in the neck when they do that. That's why I prefer magnums over semi-autos."

Sephiroth nodded and started for the jeep, opening his door and thowing the remains of the driver's seat out. When the Sweepers had rammed the vehicle, the door had bent inward and the seat had been destroyed. Sephiroth was walking with a noticeable limp due to that charge.

Akalara pursed her lips, noting the bloody gashes and the beginnings of a very colorful bruise through the shredded leather covering his hip and upper thigh. He wasn't complaining, but she could see how much his hip hurt him. Thinking back on it, she realized that he hadn't moved much at all during the short fight. She'd been rolling and dashing all around him, and he had been rooted to the spot.

Digging through the materia in her pocket, she exchanged one of the orbs in her armlet and approached her love. He shuffled away as she came closer. "Ak, I'm fine."

"No, you're not," she countered. "You can hardly walk. That's not 'fine'."

"It's just a flesh wound."

The green-haired woman crossed her arms and glared at him, tapping one finger on her right bicep. "Then prove it. If you can run to that boulder and back without flinching, then I'll leave it alone."

He eyed the distant rock. It was only two kilometers away, but there was no way he could make it on that leg.

Still, he did try. She had to give him that. She watched him tamp down for a quick start, setting his jaw against pain he would not admit to suffering.

One step, and he went down.

Akalara was there a moment later, laying one hand on his torn leg and calling to the magic within the materia. Sephiroth sighed as the curative spell knitted flesh together and rejoined broken vessels, soothing the burning agony with a cooling rush. He started to get up, but his teenage love stopped him with one hand on his chest.

"Seph, why do you always do this to yourself?" she asked quietly.

"Do what to myself?"

She sighed deeply. "You always tough it out when it comes to injuries. Why don't you ever just heal yourself when it happens instead of trying to act like it doesn't bother you and making it worse?" She held one hand up, forestalling his protest. "Look, you know I respect your strength, and I know how tough you are. But it's just you and me right now. You don't have to prove anything to me."

"Ak, you always reach for the Restore when I'm hurt. If I say I'm all right, then I'm all right," he replied with a huff. "I'm not some fragile doll or something. A scratch or a gash isn't going to kill me."

She gave him a level look. "Seph, what about just now? Your leg could barely support you while you were walking. It didn't interfere with your fighting or mine, but what if you had been forced to move or roll away? You wouldn't have been able to get back up. And what if it's something else next time? What if it's your sword arm, or your chest, or something else? What would you do then?"

He shrugged. "I'd keep fighting until I had to heal myself. That's the way I've always fought, Ak, and I'm still alive, aren't I?"

The green-haired female shook her head in disbelief, deciding to appeal to his protectiveness. "And what if something interrupts you before the spell goes off? What if you're on your absolute last legs, and just as you reach for the Restore or a potion or something, you get attacked? You know better than I do how that happens more often then anybody would care to admit. And if something like that happens to you, where does that leave me and the baby?"

Sephiroth looked at her, then down at her stomach. "I...hadn't thought of that," he admitted softly.

"You know I'm not half the fighter you are, Seph. My specialties are knives and guns. I can't clear out space like you can. Even worse, if that does happen..." She pretended to swallow and ducked her head, hiding behind her hair. "I really don't want to watch you die. I couldn't..."

He was silent for a moment, then "I told you I'd always come back to you, Ak. Don't you believe me?"

"I do. It's just that your pride sometimes clouds your judgement. I know you're tough and powerful, but show a little common sense." She lifted her head and flashed him a mischievious grin, making his almost-scowl melt away. "We'll last a lot longer if you just listen to me and don't make me nag you. I don't like nagging anymore than you like listening to it, so it's best to just give in and start healing yourself."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "Women. It's always an ultimatum sooner or later. All right, I'll heal myself if it's more than a scratch."

She beamed at him, then got to her feet and helped him to his. "C'mon, Seph. We've got some friends to meet."

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

They left the jeep a mile outside Kalm and hiked into town just after sunset, using Disguise materia outside the town's limits. "Do you think they'll be in the inn?" Akalara asked quietly, smoothing down her wiry black cornrows and playing with the blue and red beads decorating the ends.

"Undoubtedly," Sephiroth replied, limping beside her on a gnarled crutch. His skin was currently as dark as her own, his luxurious silver locks replaced by shorter cornrows without beads. "We know what to look for, and they do too. Sooner or later we'll find each other."

"They'll have to take a leap of faith, then. Your eyes are still both the same color." Akalara had brought some contacts along from Midgar, and inserted one of the yellow lenses into her right eye. She and Sephiroth had both been generous with the tattoos, piercings, and a few brands this time for their disguises. Her love was limping in accordance with what appeared to be a badly-healed break in his leg. There was really nothing wrong with the limb, but onlookers didn't need to know that.

"Well, we could ask that young child there." Sephiroth nodded to a boy with black hair and sapphire eyes, who was leaning against the fountain with a studied nonchalance. When he saw them, he pushed off the fountain and approached.

"Welcome to Kalm, strangers! You from Midgar?" the boy asked.

"Just recently. We're originally from Costa del Sol," Akalara replied. "My friend here hurt his leg, so we stopped in for a few days. Give him a chance to heal up and all."

"You must be the ones my parents sent me to look for, then." The boy grinned, then lowered his voice. "You might want to do something about that accent, Ak. You may look convincing, but you certainly don't sound it."

Akalara scowled, but Sephiroth grinned and reached his free hand out to ruffle the kid's wavy hair. "You're a smart man, Cloud. Now how about taking us to see the others?"

Cloud frowned and smoothed his ebony hair back down into its flattened, spike-less style, then walked towards the inn with his hands jammed inside his pockets. "C'mon. They should be back from the materia shop by now."

"Getting gil for the trip, huh?" Akalara asked, glancing around for anybody suspicious.

"Mm-hm." He pushed the door open and walked towards a booth in the back of the bar, where a man with short black hair and a well-endowed brunette woman were eating. Cloud hopped up beside the violet-eyed woman and stole his glass of water. "Mommy, Daddy, I found your friends for you."

"Good for you. Now give me back my glass, brat." Zack plucked his water out of Cloud's hands and gestured for the other couple to sit down. "Did you get in all right?"

"Had a little trouble on the road, but nothing too major. A day or two of rest, maybe somebody to rebreak and set this leg, and I'll be back on my feet." Sephiroth eased into the booth beside Cloud, careful to leave his 'twisted' leg sticking awkwardly out from under the table. "How was youur trip?"

"Well, the rest of our little convoy got into a nasty pile-up. We were lucky to get out unscathed," Kandi replied, nudging Akalara. "Shoulda asked you to teach me to shoot instead of Red," she added in a whisper.

"You'll learn," Akalara murmured before clearing her throat. "Our trip was a little rough, as Julio said. There were some problems with monsters, but nothing we couldn't handle. We were lucky."

As she spoke, her fingers moved slowly, almost meaninglessly. Zack watched the movements carefully, then gave a barely perceptible nod. "Honey," he said to Kandi, "didn't we get some potions at the store?"

"I think so. Julio, why don't we go up and see if we can fix that leg of yours?"

"_Gracias_, guys." Sephiroth supported himself on the table until Kandi got out of the booth, then looped an arm over her shoulders. "Could you help me up the stairs, please?"

"Sure!" Kandi held her smile in place until they reached their room upstairs, then slipped out from under the big man's arm with a frown and a sigh. "You know, you're a helluva lot heavier than you look."

"It's all that muscle he has," Akalara commented, sitting down in a chair as Cloud closed the door behind them all. "He's so careful about his weight, thinking he's going to get fat."

"Ak!" Sephiroth hissed, glaring at her.

"What? You thought I wouldn't guess after you started that diet after New Year's?" his love asked, watching Zack cast Barrier on the room. Reno had told them all about the soundproofing qualities of a mastered Barrier materia last weekend. "There's not an ounce of fat on you, Seph. You're always eating because it takes so many calories to power all that muscle. You should have figured that out when you nearly passed out during PT after two days of eating smaller meals."

"And muscle is a lot heavier than fat. The scale probably screams whenever he steps on it," Kandi snickered, seating herself on the bed. Zack and Cloud joined in, hiding their smiles behind their hands.

Sephiroth pouted. "You know, sometimes I really hate you all."

"Aw, you know you don't mean that," Akalara said, giving him her most charming smile. "If you can't tease your loved ones, why have 'em?"

"I fully agree. That's why I give Zacky here such grief," Kandi put in, slinging one arm around the 'woman's' waist.

"You know, it really is strange to see you with breasts, Zack." Akalara smirked at her brown-eyed friend. "I really wish you had taped that night, Kandi. I would've loved to have seen what you looked like with a cock."

"Ahhh, but would you have done more than look?" Kandi teased, brown eyes dancing. "I prefer cocks to vages, but I wouldn't have minded trying yours out if I still had a cock."

"Well..."

"Okay, that's as far as that conversation goes," Sephiroth cut in, grabbing Akalara and lifting her out of her chair to sit on his lap. "I have exclusive rights to that particular part of her body now, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Oh, c'mon Seph! You can't say you haven't thought about what it might have been like to fuck Zack while he was a woman." Kandi slid behind the ex-SOLDIER, who was now a very deep shade of red, and put her hands on his breasts. "He was the cutest virgin I ever saw, that's for certain."

"No, I haven't," Sephiroth countered. "I like my women all-natural, you see. There cannot be any Y chromosome in her at all for me to be interested. I still fail to understand why you two found it so appealing to try things the other way around in the first place."

"Us _three_, you mean." Zack nodded to Akalara with a wide grin as Cloud got up to close the curtains. "She wanted to try it with you, remember?"

"Oh, we reached an understanding on that issue." Akalara ground her hips slightly into her love's, feeling the magic of their disguises melting away. Sephiroth's fingers tightened on her hips, keeping her still. Nothing, however, could keep the satisfied smirk off her face. "There will be no gender-swapping between us, as we both enjoy our respective roles in sex too much to try anything else now."

"Suit yourself." Back to her old self again, Kandi ran her hands down Zack's flat chest and slightly-rounded stomach playfully, then returned to her place at the edge of the bed beside him. Cloud, his face and neck a bright pink, took a seat in Akalara's empty chair. "But really, you should try it if you ever get the chance. Makes for one very memorable experience!"

"I'm sure it does," the silver-haired man murmured. "But I think that it would be better if only one of us was pregnant right now. What are Ak and I supposed to do if I suddenly find myself with child too?"

"If Ak wore a condom - "

"Guys, can we please change the subject?" Cloud begged, blushing deeply. "I don't need to know the gory details of how Zack and Kandi's baby was conceived, and I definitely don't want these mental images of Seph and Ak! Uh, no offense," he hastily added when he saw the look the latter pair was giving him.

"Fine. We'll save that conversation for a time when there are no minors in the area," Akalara said, shrugging. "Besides, I already know the gory details."

"So have you decided where you're going to go?" the ex-general asked the other couple.

"I think Fort Condor is the better choice," Zack replied. "Doc Quorra said she could meet us up there, and they do have good facilities, supposedly. Besides, with all those mercs the odds are in our favor for defending our kid if Shinra somehow realizes that we're there."

"Wait a sec. What about the swamp? You'd have to go through the mines to get to the fort, and the only way through the swamp is by chocobo. You can't be riding a chocobo in your condition," Akalara pointed out.

"Fuck..." the ex-SOLDIER growled.

"What about going to Mideel for now, and then Fort Condor after the baby's born?" Cloud asked. "I've heard it's not bad for pregnant women to go out on boats and shit, as long as it's not anything too rough. The same should be true for you, Zack."

Zack and Kandi exchanged glances, then nodded slowly. "I'm not so sure about my stomach and the sea, but that's not a bad idea, Spike."

"Plus we can get some ginger pills for seasickness," the red-streaked woman added. "That's supposed to work wonders for morning sickness too, I think."

"It does." Akalara grinned. "I've been taking them when I feel queasy, which doesn't happen too often, thankfully. The only time I've gotten sick at all was the night we found out I was pregnant."

Zack stared at her. "Why didn't you tell me about this? I've been fucking miserable, puking my guts up every morning and night!"

"Didn't think to," the green-haired female said sheepishly. "Sorry, Zack."

"Just watch the dosage," Sephiroth warned. "Doctors aren't certain about the effects of higher doses on pregnant women, and you've got to be even more careful than they do."

"I'll watch his pill intake," Cloud volunteered.

"So you're still heading for Junon?" Kandi asked, nodding her thanks to the blond.

"And Bone Village from there," Akalara said. "Seph's going to be doing the digging, I'm afraid. Though I'll probably enjoy washing the dirt off him every night."

"How far behind me are you, Ak?" Zack asked.

"Five weeks, I think."

"Yes, that's right." Sephiroth reached one hand around to cover his love's belly, smiling tenderly down at her. "The good doctor pinpointed our child's conception as the night before we were supposed to leave for the Nibelheim mission. Kandi saw fit to inform me of when your little adventure with the Green Sludge took place, and that was five weeks before that night."

"I told you that?" the red-streaked woman asked, surprised.

"The night we toasted our impending fatherhoods," the silver-haired man supplied. "You were fairly 'toasted' yourself when you told me, and when I asked Dr. Quorra about it she said that sounded right in correlation to your child's development."

"Five weeks..." Zack thought for a minute, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. "I'm about three and a half months along right now, so that puts you at two months. How about we meet up at the fort in eight months? That'll give us both time to heal up from the deliveries and get used to having kids."

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Zack." Sephiroth smiled in approval, then shifted Akalara on his lap slightly. "So. What was this about a nasty pile-up?"

"Like I told these two on the road, Ak's a damn good shot," the black-haired man said with a grin. "We had a fun time getting out of Midgar, let me tell you..."

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

"How could you have lost them?! Their lives could be in danger from mako fluctuations, and you say they just _vanished?!_" Hojo screamed into the phone. "Look harder! They must be somewhere in the area! Search Kalm! Search the Chocobo Farm! Scale the cliffs and slog through the swamp! Do not stop until they are here in my labs where I can find out what is wrong with them!" He listened to the frazzled reply on the other end, uncaring. "It is no concern of mine that some boy in their jeep injured your men and killed at least one. Just bring me the four of them, alive if possible. I'll accept the corpses if that is beyond your meager skill, but bring them to me!"

The Wutaian scientist hung up the phone without even bothering to listen to the sergeant's reply, reaching up to massage his aching temples. It was so hard to be a genius in the midst of idiots.

He looked over the files on his desk once more. The pregnant boy was a curiosity, that was certain, and he was eager to find out how GS-56 affected the fertility cycle so quickly in both males and females during the transformation, as well as figuring out how the boy's newly-acquired uterus had been able to remain in his body even after the transformation was reversed. With more of the green substance and pheremone treatments, the pair would be willing participants in his studies.

The other pair, however, was a puzzle he could not wait to get his hands on. How had that girl managed to conceive Sephiroth's child and retain it? Was she the product of Project R, the lost specimen?

Hojo thought about it, black eyes lingering on the large red 'PROJECT UNFINISHED, SPECIMENS LOST' stamped at the bottom of the final page of notes in the Project R file. The children born to the Jenova Project had all been male. Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth were the only surviving children, and now only Sephiroth, unless one counted the many silver-haired clones still kept beneath Shinra Manor.

But Project G and Project S had both been experiments performed with Jenova cells. Project R had used something else from Jenova's body, something other than her cells.

Hojo had always assumed that whatever child Raelynn had given birth to had been male, just like the others. What if her child, the child they had searched all of Midgar for, was actually a girl? Could the same qualities Raelynn had developed have been passed on to her child?

"Of course!" Hojo realized. "Those abilities would be better suited for a female! Why didn't I think of that nineteen years ago? And to think, all this time I thought there was a boy out there somewhere genetically compatible with anything he copulated with!"

He ran his finger down the list of animal phyla Raelynn had been compatible with, then followed one branch to the primate family, and landed on the two final species on that list. _Homo sapiens_...

...and _Homo Jenova_.

"I really must retrieve a sample of her blood," he muttered, smiling evilly. "If she is the lost specimen, the test should come up positive." He cackled to himself for a moment, remembering the frantic face of a dark-haired woman as she denied ever having a child, even after being confronted with security footage of her leaving the hospital beneath the Plate with a small bundle in her arms. "And she honestly thought she could keep her child's existence a secret from me. She should have known that I would discover the truth eventually. Oh, I'd love to see the look on her face, if this girl is in fact her child!"

Project R and Project S. Two different branches of the Jenova Project, combined in a single child. A child that was not supposed to exist. A specimen nobody had ever believed possible.

It would be the ultimate specimen produced by the Jenova Project, and it was just beyond his grasp!

Hojo fumed, then stood up and went to his filing cabinet. Retrieving Sephiroth's file, he laid it out beside Project R and flipped through the pages until he found Sephiroth's genetic profile. After finding Raelynn's post-xenogenesis profile, he laid them side by side and pulled a transparent sheet and a red marker out of his desk.

Until he had the specimens safely in his lab and could monitor the results for himself, he could at least whet his curiosity by hypothesizing what the unborn specimen's abilities might be.

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

Sephiroth groaned and dug his fingers into the blanket, his toes curling in wordless pleasure. Akalara laughed lowly and continued about her actions, wringing another rumbled of muted ecstasy from her love.

"Little harder, Seph?" she asked, grinning down at him.

"Yes," he groaned. "Gods, _yes_."

The green-haired teen laughed again and balled her hands together, grinding hard circles into his back. Sephiroth arched beneath her fists, growling his pleasure. Akalara unknotted her hands to work his shoulders, rubbing his tense muscles into limp submission with a pleased smile. After several hours of conversation with their friends, the pair had procured a room of their own and shut themselves in for the night.

They had all agreed to meet for breakfast the next morning, wearing the same disguises as yesterday, before going their separate ways. Shortly thereafter, Akalara had realized from the way he was standing as he spoke to the innkeeper that Sephiroth was suffering from a backache. His muscles had been extremely tense and knotted, and so as soon as they had entered the room and used their mastered Barrier she had pushed him down onto the bed, dispelled their disguises, straddled his back, and proceeded to give him a massage.

Akalara had learned from Reno how to give a good massage before he had met Lily, and picked up a few more tips during their time in Wutai. Sephiroth had never received one of her massages before, and he certainly appreciated her skills now.

"Still upset that I spent so much time alone with Reno now, Seph?" the teen asked coyly, digging the tips of her fingers into either side of his nape.

"No, not anymore," the silver-haired man purred, settling his head more comfortably on his folded arms and clutching at the bedclothes. "The time was...obviously...well-spent."

Akalara smirked and pressed her fingers into the spot on the back of his neck, reducing him to jelly. "So do you really think we're going to be okay in Junon?"

"As long as we stick to the lower half of the city," Sephiroth groaned, making Akalara smooth her palms down the length of his back firmly. "It's just a question of avoiding the men guarding the entrance to the base, and they won't think much of two travelers. They're usually pretty bored and sleeping at their post, or drinking."

"Vigilant guardians, indeed," the green-haired teen snorted.

"It's one of the easiest - " He arched and groaned sharply as her thumbs pressed hard circles along his spine " - assignments there is, Ak. The inhabitants are too few to revolt, and even if they did they wouldn't get very far into the base. The men mostly get left alone."

"So they won't think twice about two strangers going out in a boat with one of the locals and not coming back at the end of the day?"

"Probably not. They really don't care about that sort of thing, as far as I can tell."

Deciding he'd had enough, Akalara leaned forward until she lay fully along and atop his back, her head resting on the back of his shoulder. Sephiroth didn't protest her slight weight. "Most of the known world will know our names by now. Shinra will probably have framed us as wanted criminals or something, and spread the word that they want us. Do you think they'll be telling the army and the people to keep a lookout for people with our eyes, too?"

"I don't think so. Disguise materia is one of the Turks' best-kept secrets, and most people outside of Shinra don't know about it. They'd probably want to keep it that way." The silver-haired man shifted deeper into the mattress, careful of the woman atop him. Akalara propped herself up with a hand on either side of his torso.

"Do you want me to get off you, Seph?"

"No. I like having a warm, soft blanket laying atop me after a good rubdown of any sort." Sephiroth reached one arm back to push her down again. "Give me back my blanket, Ak. And lose the shirt, if you will."

"As you wish." She yanked her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor, then settled back along his spine and snaked her arms under his and around. "I hope we don't have any problems on our way out. I really don't like being this close to Midgar, to Shinra."

"I know, and I don't either. But it's a chance we have to take, and we'll leave as soon as we can." Sephiroth shivered as Akalara brushed some of his hair aside and gently nipped his nape. "After Junon, chances are that we won't be forced to deal with Shinra until after our child is born."

"I hope you're right. I don't want to risk running into them too much."

Sephiroth nodded and reached one hand to the side, pulling the blankets over them. Akalara rolled off him and slung one arm over his back, ignoring his grumble of protest. "As much as you like me on your back, eventually you won't be able to breathe if I fall asleep like that."

"Fine." The silver-haired man turned on his side and pulled her against his chest, giving her a soft kiss before she tucked her head beneath his chin. "This is warmer anyway."

"Seph, it's always warm when you're around," she said fondly.

"Funny. That's what what I think about you."


	34. AVALANCHE Files: AWOL

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor:** (_ducks and dodges tomatoes and rotten veggies thrown by disapproving readers)_ All right! All right! I'm sorry, already! _(hides behind Sephiroth)_. I've been a bad author, I know. I haven't been updating the way I should have been. I haven't exactly had a lot of free time this summer, and my muses decided to abandon me for some unknown reason. But I think they're back now, so this fic, at least, should be getting some more updates in the near future. I'm already almost done with the next chapter for my arc! To tide you all over, here's the next chapter from Maniac. He actually sent me this a couple of weeks ago… But hey, better late than never, right? _(takes a tomato in the face. Sephiroth slowly hands her a handkerchief) _I'm sensing a little hostility here… Read, then! My next chapter should be up sometime next week! Like I said, it's _almost _done!

**A.W.O.L**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor am I making a profit.**

**This is me showing my utter lack of tactics, military protocol and other things meaning I'm making stuff up. Yay for over one thousand words of bullshit!**

**--**

_What am I doing here? _Tifa thought to herself, trying to place the last few weeks into perspective and how it all led to this, 'this' being a meeting of one of the most infamous anti-Shinra groups on Gaia. She had only joined to find out if Cloud had made it in, but thus far the records had come up blank. This meant that if she was ever going to find out, she had to stay with the group. So far things had been quiet, only a few tests of that weird bracelet Jessie kept with her.

"As of 7 am this morning a news report was issued by Shinra to the general public. It seems that the two highest ranking members of SOLDIER, who were instrumental in the loss of Wutai and probably aided in planting the bomb that destroyed our HQ under the pagoda, thus forcing the last independent nation on the planet to surrender to Shinra, have gone missing," Jessie told the three of them. To tell the truth she had expected Avalanche to be a lot bigger than this, but maybe this was only one branch of it, especially so close to a large military base.

"Don't remind me. I was near the place when it went up like a fireworks display," Biggs grumbled, trying to forget what happened there.

"Yes, well today the 'official' verdict is that both 1st class officer Zack Fair and commander of the elite SOLDIER division Sephiroth, second name unknown, were reported as M.I.A. Shinra has launched a pledge to the public to help find them, using any information possible to help locate the two."

"Is it too much to hope they're dead?" Wedge asked, sounding slightly hopeful.

"Probably," Biggs noted.

"However, the two were not on any current mission at the time, added to the fact that several SOLDIER members were deployed at twenty-two hundred hours…" Jessie continued on, ignoring both Biggs and Wedge."

"10 o'clock at night," Wedge interpreted

"… to the dead lands just east of Midgar, where both Zack and Sephiroth were stationed. Since we were not undergoing any activity there at the time, we can assume that the two have gone A.W.O.L and Shinra is reluctant to portray their poster boy as a traitor just yet. The public message would help with the retrieval as idiots who don't know any better would report that they've been seen to officials and soon the area is flooded with SOLDIERS and Turks looking for them by any means necessary. However, I assume they'll have taken precautions such as disguises if they hope to evade them for any length of time."

"Wait, how do we know it's both of them deserting? I'll give you the silver-haired devil, but from what we've seen, Zack's been known to go off on random missions alone and only telling HQ when he needed an air-lift to get to and from places. Remember that spam junk we saw when we broke into their emails? Treasure Princess… You'd have to be an idiot to fall for that one. What's to say he didn't get jumped by something while looking around somewhere?" Biggs asked.

"Because the two were recently assigned the same mission, both of which they withdrew from causing it to be cancelled: one for medical reasons claiming influenza, the other for mental and personal reasons. So they wouldn't be on any mission at all."

"Was that mission to the mako reactor in Nibelheim?"

"How'd you know that?" Biggs asked suddenly, turning his gaze toward Tifa. The first time she spoke up during this meeting and she was already in trouble for it.

"I-I was supposed to be the mountain guide for them," she managed to stutter.

"No need to get worked up, Biggs; the mission was common knowledge to the people in the area. Shit happened all across the world, all at mako reactors sending most of SOLDIER scattered. Probably help out in the long run, as people start to see problems with the abominations. Then their façade of friendliness starts to decompose and eventually the people realize what the hell they've gotten themselves into and may help form a revolution against the bastards."

"But why send the top two SOLDIERs to a place in the middle of nowhere? No offense, Tifa, but Nibelheim's as backwater as you can get without drowning. They got a secret that's classified to all but the top brass or something?"

"We can think about why they were sent there later and if we can use the recent string of reactor incidents to our advantage next meeting. What's important now is that we can deduce that currently Shinra is without its two favourite attack dogs. This means that we can progress with our missions much more smoothly, since they're occupied on trying to maintain some form of command. We just have to keep track of their movements to make sure it doesn't clash with ours and help us stay one step ahead of any large-scale military procedures."

"Any chance of being able to get them on our side if they've deserted?"

"No."

"But if they've left Shinra and…"

"This isn't an 'enemy of our enemy' scenario, we've been trading shots with Shinra for years. Some of us have even taken a crack at the general himself and he's taken down more than enough of us. He may have left SOLDIER with his tail between his legs or whatever, but that doesn't mean he's stopped seeing us as anything other than extremists whom he's to stab first and ask questions never. Right, Jessie?"

"Right."

"So apart from a quick update on the news front, was there any reason for waking me up at 5 in the morning?"

"Actually, yes there is, Biggs," Jessie said with some irritation.

"What do you want me to do this time?" Biggs gulped.

"More testing, though I assure you it won't send you north of the mountain range this time."

"I hope not."

"We're trying the enhancer with offensive materia. This one has ice and fire magic included. See how it does at Fort Condor, just don't break it or lose it. Making it to fit two linked slots was tough enough with what we have."

"Fine. I'll be at the fort."

---

**Bleh, I've been working on this chapter for months, finally got it done so hooray and boo because my internet is going wrong as I type this. **


	35. A Kalm Exit

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea. Disguise materia and Turk Sign are mine, too. SE didn't think them up; I did.

**Queen's Quornor:** I did say that it wouldn't be too long until I updated with one of my own chapters, didn't I? See, I still have some credibility left! _(dodges a stray watermelon)_ Hey, hey, hey!!! Okay, whatever. So, about this chapter... Amazon's muses have been as stingy with their gifts for this fic as mine have been, so she and I came up with a mutually satisfactory agreement: I'll get everybody out of Kalm, and she'll do something in the original timeline for me. There were a few other little things, but that's the basic gist of things. So, let's see how our heroic quintet gets themselves out of dodge, shall we? Oh, and small note: I have finally figured out when the Nibelheim incident took place, but since in earlier fics I placed as sometime during February, this fic will keep it at that time period instead of the actual date. I swear, as much as I try to keep this thing mostly-canon, I keep finding places where I've accidentally made it totally AU, just because I can't find the answers I need when I do my research...

A Kalm Exit

"Seph, why are you waking me up at this hour?" Akalara grumbled, rolling onto her back and rubbing at her eyes.

"Because we've got company." The silver-haired man straightened and nodded at the window as he retrieved his coat from its peg on the wall. "Shinra infantry have arrived and are searching the town. They haven't checked the inn yet, but it's just a matter of time until they do."

"Are they always going to do this in the middle of the fucking night? Enough with the damned deja vu already." Despite her grousing, Akalara was already out of bed and halfway dressed. She took her vest from Sephiroth, nervously keeping her distance from the window. "The others know?"

"Already called them. They'll leave separately, just as we planned." Sephiroth put his gloves on, then sat down to pull on his boots. "We'll have to circle around. The guards are between us and the jeep."

"Perfect." Hooking her gunbelt on, the green-haired teen watched her love pull out their mastered Disguise materia and turned himself back into 'Julio'. A second later, she was her Soleian alter-ego, too. "Let's keep to the shadows. I know they don't have anything to pick us out, but I'd still feel safer."

"All right." Once Akalara had her one yellow contact in, the couple slipped out the door. The disguised teen couldn't help glancing back at the room where Zack, Kandi, and Cloud were staying. Her friends were fully capable of looking after themselves, but she couldn't help worrying for them. If all went well, their time earlier that night would be the last time she'd see them for the better part of the year.

They stopped at the top of the stairs, listening to the conversation emanating from the front desk. At her love's gentle nudge, Akalara crept soundlessly around the bend to the first landing. "Ma'am, I can't give you the guestlist. That's confidential information."

"We are searching for five dangerous fugitives who may have fled here. Considering what they are capable of, it is in your own best interest to allow us access to your guestlist."

"Shit!" Akalara slunk back to the top of the stairs, praying the woman demanding the guestlist hadn't spotted her peeking around the corner. The last thing either she or Sephiroth wanted was to get caught, Disguise materia or not. "Seph, they're here!"

"Act casual" was his hissed advice. He nudged her aside and clomped down the stairs, walking up to the front desk with the cautious curiosity of one who is unsure why a Shinra infantrywoman would be in Kalm at this hour. Akalara trailed after him, her outward confidence masking her abject terror. This woman was just a regular green-scarfed grunt, but if Shinra was here and searching for them, then chances were the SOLDIER was here, too.

"We wanna check out," Sephiroth informed the flustered innkeeper. His fake accent, Akalara noted sourly, was much better than her own.

"Name?" the innkeeper asked, flipping open his ledger.

"Julio and Bimini Crucez," the disguised ex-general replied, leaning on the counter. Akalara turned around and rested on her elbows, facing the door as she slouched. The infantrywoman studied them for a moment then reached up to a switch on her helmet. Neither Sephiroth nor Akalara noticed the low, barely-audible hum that accompanied the movement.

"All right." The innkeeper made a mark in the ledger, then reached for the room key in Sephiroth's hand. "You're officially checked out. Have a nice night, and tell your friends about us!"

"We will, man," Akalara drawled, pushing off the counter. As she reached for the doorknob, there was suddenly the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking.

"Freeze!" the infantrywoman ordered.

"What's the big deal?" Sephiroth demanded, pretending shock. "Is it illegal to leave town in the middle of the night or something?"

The infantrywoman was not amused. "General Sephiroth, Akalara Forrest, you are under arrest for desertion and murder in the first and second degrees, as well as for your own safety. Put your hands behind your heads!"

The innkeep blanched and disappeared behind the desk. Akalara slowly raised her hands, glancing back at Sephiroth apprehensively. He had the cold mask in place, the one that usually appeared only when he was approaching the level of apocalyptic fury. But with a gun leveled at her back, he was virtually powerless.

The infantrywoman took a pair of handcuffs off her belt. "Primary subjects in custody," she reported into her radio, going to cuff the disguised ex-general. "Subjects Z, K, and C should be in the area as well."

"_What's your location?_" crackled the radio.

"The inn. Requesting back-up, sir."

"_In route._"

The infantrywoman smirked as she clicked the metal rings around Sephiroth's wrists. Akalara glared at her, knowing that she was envisioning the promotion this arrest would net her. "You fucking bastard!" she spat, wishing she could go for her guns but too afraid of the possibility that the infantrywoman would shoot her love.

"Such a lady," she laughed. "I'm just doing my job, Miss Forrest. Don't blame me for your actions."

"You have no idea what Hojo will do to us. If you did, you would let us go in an instant," Sephiroth growled.

"Oh, I know what he'll do. Frankly, I'm not sure why you all ran in the first place. All he wants to do is stabilize your mako levels. A few shots and you'd be fine again, free to go about your business."

"You're the dumbest fucking grunt on the face of the Planet if you think Hojo's so benevolent," Akalara spat.

The infantrywoman shrugged, pulling out a second pair of cuffs. "Suit yourselfr, Miss Forrest. Now if you'd be so kind..."

She took one step towards her, then there was a soft popping noise and she froze. The surprised couple watched her crumple to the floor, handcuffs skittering away to bump against the wall as blood began dripping from a neat hole punched through the left side of her helmet.

"Fuckers never do learn to pay attention, do they?" Kandi strolled out into the lobby with a smirk, followed by Zack and Cloud. She went to the dead infantrywoman and nudged her, letting her gun dangle loosely from her finger. "These silencers really do work!"

"Well, that's why they call them 'silencers'," Zack said, going to his cuffed friend and examining the restraints. "Fuck, of course they'd have the SOLDIER-proof bracelets. Do any of you know how to pick a lock? Infantry captains are the only ones allowed to carry the keys for these."

"Step aside, little lady." Akalara snatched a paperclip off the desk and quickly unbent it, ignoring Zack's glare. In short order the cuffs were off and Sephiroth was rubbing at his left wrist.

"That idiot had the damned cuffs too tight," he grumbled.

Cloud glanced over the counter at the innkeeper. "What should we do with him?He's out cold."

Kandi tossed the younger man a yellow materia. "Give him amnesia," she suggested.

Zack went to the window and swore. "Shit! We got company, guys!"

"We'll get rid of the body. You go out the back door," Sephiroth commanded, slinging the corpse over his shoulder. "If you're spotted, either run or take them down. The disguises aren't enough to fool the biological scanners."

"Will do, Seph. Good luck!" Zack grabbed Kandi's hand and dragged her towards the bar, followed by Cloud once he'd finished with the innkeeper. The disguised ex-cadet flashed the other couple a weakly encouraging grin before disappearing out through the kitchen entrance.

Akalara shot a fearful look at the front door while she and Sephiroth ran up the stairs. If only she had through to bring that gadget Reno had swiped from Scarlet's workshop... There was no way the MPs could miss all that blood!

Her love had the same idea. At the top of the stairs, he dropped the body and pulled out the Disguise materia. Akalara shook her head when the infantrywoman was suddenly replaced with her twin.

The front door slammed open downstairs, prompting the hunted pair to scurry back into the room they had just vacated. "What now, Seph?" the worried teenager hissed, rubbing her stomach as though trying to comfort their child. "Do we go out the window?"

"No, we're going to hide." Sephiroth popped the All out of his armlet and reached into his pocket, replacing it with another materia. "Trust me, Ak."

"You know I do." She listened to the running feet and shouts downstairs, and joined her disguised love beside the dresser as he pulled out the bottom drawer. "What are you doing?"

He smirked at her, and suddenly he was getting bigger, and bigger. She gawked up at him, too stunned to resist when he gently picked her up and placed her inside the drawer. A minute passed and he joined her therein, as tiny as she.

"Mini?" she squeaked.

"I told you there was a reason I wanted that materia, Ak." Sephiroth braced himself against the bottom of the drawer and pushed hard against the metal track above them, lurching forward as the drawer began to move. By running and pushing on the track, he was able to make the drawer shut itself, leaving them in total darkness.

And not a moment too soon. Akalara felt her pulse race at the pounding on the locked door, and she jumped slightly as Sephiroth's glowing eyes suddenly appeared. He must have turned around, she realized, willing herself to calm down.

The eyes approached and she felt his hand on her arm, the touch so familiar and reassuring. The teen allowed herself to be pulled into one of the far corners of the drawer and into his arms, unresisting despite her fear. He guided her down and curled her against him. Akalara held him tightly and buried her face in his chest as the door to the room banged open.

* * *

"Will they be okay?" Cloud asked softly, watching Zack peer around the corner of the building.

"Sure they will." Kandi beamed, the smacked him upside the head. _No talking! Sign!_ her fingers ordered. _Enemy hear!_

Cloud flushed, knowing she was right. You weren't thinking again, numbnuts, he scolded himself. Do that again and we're all fucked!

Zack dashed across the street and flattened himself against the opposite building, glancing around to gauge the...whatever he was watching. Cloud leaned out enough to catch a glimpse of a green-scarfed MP slowly patrolling further down the street.

Zack waved, urging him forward as the man turned around. Cloud hurried to join him, terrified that he might be spotted. Upon reaching his friend and mentor the teen slumped against the wall, silently arguing with his racing heartbeat. To him, it was loud enough to attract the infantryman's notice, even though he knew that was utterly ridiculous.

Gods, he was nervous.

Zack beckoned to Kandi and she darted forward. But a loose cobblestone turned under her foot, and Cloud saw her eyes bulge in horror right before her face slammed into the road.

The noise made both ex-SOLDIER and cadet cringe, and brought the infantryman running. "Are you all right, sir?" he asked, helping Kandi up. "That looked like a really nasty fall."

"No, I'm fine. Thanks, man." Cloud stared at the disguised woman, feeling that something was wrong but unable to place it. Kandi had her hand cupped protectively over her nose, and blood was pouring between her fingers, but...

Oh shit! he thought. The Disguise materia! Kandi sounded and acted like she'd broken her nose, and she was certainly bleeding enough for it, but behind her curled fingers her illusionary nose was still perfectly straight. Unbroken.

The infantryman noticed, too. "Sir, show me your nose."

"Fuck off!" Kandi snapped. "I need a doctor, not a fucking MP."

A pleased smile appeared beneath the helmet and the infantryman produced a pair of handcuffs. "Sir, you are under arrest for disorderly conduct and belligerence towards an officer of the law. You have the right to remain - "

He never got to finish reading Kandi her rights. She slugged him in the gut and hooked his legs out from under him when he doubled over. Jerking off his helmet, the disguised woman fisted a handful of his hair and slammed the back of his head ino the cobblestones until he stopped moaning. "Fucker," she snarled, still cupping her nose.

Zack shook his head slowly and went to drag the unconscious man into cover. _Damn. You learn fast, woman, _he signed.

_Turk teach good. Nose broke. Materia?_

Cloud produced their Restore and used it on her, collecting the newly-made All that popped out a moment later. Kandi looked him over as he put it away, her appraising gaze making him fidget uncomfortably. _What?_

_Same size you. Disguise, easy escape._

Cloud cocked his head at her, confused. Zack nodded and pulled the unconscious man into a nearby alley. _Come here, _he signed. Cloud obeyed, and the older man switched out his All for another materia, a green one. Kandi used the Disguise materia to transform into an attractive, scantily-clad blond and slouched outside the alley, alert in spite of her relaxed stance. At her nod, Zack extended a hand in Cloud's direction.

"Dispel," he whispered, and Cloud paled as he felt his disguise melting away. Zack lightly pushed him towards the unconscious MP. _Disguise, _flashed the fingers.

_You crazy? Me SOLDIER cadet, not..._ Cloud paused, wracking his brains for the sign for 'infantryman' or 'security'. He finally settled on _this_.

Zack shook his head. _Me, too tall. Her, breasts. You same size. Infantry no rea different from SOLDIER cadet. _

_Yes, different!_

The older man drew himself up to his full height. _Me SOLDIER First. You cadet. Me command you disguise._

Cloud scowled, hating that Zack had actually pulled rank on him. But he knelt down to the unconscious MP's level and began tugging at his clothes and equipment without so much as flipping Zack the bird. Kandi leaned into the alley for a moment and tossed Zack the discarded helmet. After passing him the slightly-scuffed headgear, the ex-SOLDIER ducked out and joined her in playing look-out.

Cloud grumbled to himself the entire time he was stripping and changing into the other man's uniform, albeit at subvocal levels. He berated his friends for getting this idea, Kandi for tripping and getting the MP's attention, the infantryman for being careless enough to let Kandi knock him out, Zack for asking him to come with them on this desertion, and his parents for not giving him the genetics needed to be tall enough to get out of wearing this stupid uniform in the first place. Nobody was exempt from his wrath, including himself. He cursed himself for being short and for being dumb enough to go along with this. Why couldn't Kandi use the Disguise materia and make herself a man, the same way Zack had rendered him a ten year-old boy a couple days ago? She was his height, and roughly the same width. With the materia to smooth down her chest, she could shimmey into this thing and play infantry instead.

But of course she can't, Cloud thought, pulling on the other man's boots and tying the laces. Why strip some random guy and steal his clothes yourself when your boyfriend can get his little buddy to do it instead?

Then again, Zack did have a point. Cadets and infantry were almost interchangeable after a certain point in the training, and he'd been sent on patrols of Midgar with members of the Security Department several times before. He knew how to act. He knew the codes. Kandi didn't.

The spiky-haired teen couldn't help puffing out his chest a bit as he pulled the helmet on; for once, here was something he could do that nobody else could!

When he emerged from the dark alley, Kandi let out an approving growl. _Damn, you look good!_

Beneath the helmet, Cloud blushed. Kandi had teased him in a playfully flirtatious manner before, but she never really seemed serious about it. Right now, however, the look in her eyes was enough to make him both nervous and excited. He had to pause for a second, considering that strange mixture of emotions. The last time he felt like that was the night he'd gone out to meet Tifa at the well, two years ago.

Neither of his friends, however, seemed to notice his reddened face. Zack was too busy scolding Kandi for making eyes at him while the mother of her child was standing not two feet away, albeit with a playful smirk, and the disguised woman was pointing out that he did look good.

_He looks cute!_ her fingers flashed. _Young, sweet. Me jump him if not love you!_

The meaning of her signing hit him, and Cloud pursed his lips. Kandi thought he looked good because the uniform made him look so young? So nice for the ego, hearing that one's attractiveness came only because one was jailbait.

_Come on. Get out of Kalm before infantry ask for ID, _he signed. Zack and Kandi nodded, and after renewing Zack's fading disguise they followed Cloud silently.

* * *

Akalara breathed evenly and deeply, repeating her mantra to keep silent and still. Sephiroth was helping her remain calm by stroking her hair as she leaned against him. The room had been searched only minutes ago, but a man had been posted outside the door. The decoy corpse had raised an alarm, as expected, but she and Sephiroth had made one small error in staging the scene. They had neglected to leave a window or door open, to make it appear that the fugitive ex-general had escaped with a hostage in tow. So now the infantry were swarming the inn and surrounding area, searching for him and their missing MP. This meant Sephiroth and Akalara had been left huddled in the darkness of the drawer, stuck until the guard was finally called away.

Akalara worried more for the baby than herself or her love. Did the baby know how much danger they were in? Was it as scared as she was? She shifted closer to Sephiroth, hoping that his heartbeat alongside hers would soothe their child. If the baby was calm, she could be calm as well.

Sephiroth bent his head closer to her ear. "The spell won't last much longer," he breathed, so softly she barely heard it. "We have to get rid of him."

"How?" she asked, trying to keep her voice down.

"Did Reno teach you about pressure points?" She nodded, knowing he would feel the motion against his chest. "Put him down," he ordered, disentangling himself from her and standing up. Akalara hugged herself and watched as the drawer slowly began to open soundlessly on its track.

When the drawer slid had opened enough, Sephiroth grabbed her by the waist and jumped out, landing with only the softest of thumps. He gestured towards the oblivious guard and concealed himself behind the near side of the bed as the spell began to wear off.

Akalara, rapidly reverting to full-size, crept behind her target. Reno had taught her five separate ways to incapacitate using the head and neck as the target area, but there were two problems working against her in this situation. First there was her height. Akalara was a petite woman, and while that was something Sephiroth loved about her, it also meant that she would have a slight problem reaching this MP's neck and applying any sort of weight to the task.

Secondly, this guard was a big guy. Upon rendering him senseless, she would have to catch and support him so nobody would hear him hit the floor. This man was nearly six feet tall, and so muscular that she could see the definition of his arms even though he was just standing in the door. When he went down he'd likely take her with him.

She glanced back at Sephiroth and saw him scrutinizing the guard, his armlet in clear view.

The teen nodded and interlaced her fingers, balling her hands up as one. With a deep breath, she tiptoed closer to the guard, reared back, and swung as hard as she could for the base of his skull. The man collapsed, bt the moment her fists connected Sephiroth made a small gesture. By the time the infantryman collapsed into Akalara's hands, he was roughly the size of the average rat.

She marveled at how fragile he seemed, so limp in her palms. At full-size, he could easily kill her if he caught her off-guard and unarmed. But now, if she wanted, she could take his life as easily as closing her hands. The thought was an enticing one, but she simply crossed to the dresser and deposited him inside. There was already one innocent life on her head, possibly more if what the woman had said about second-degree murder was true; she didn't need another one.

Shutting the drawer, she turned back to her love, who had opened the window and pressed himself against the wall beside it while he surveyed the streets below. _There, _he signed, pointing to another infantryman slowly patrolling below.

_How? _she asked, ducking back out of sight.

Sephiroth pulled out the familiar yellow materia and utilized it, rendering the two of them pitch-black from head to toe. _Not fight. Run. _He jerked a thumb over his shoulder and the teen carefully moved behind him as he bent forward. She jumped onto his back and linked her arms and legs around him, holding tight. Sephiroth shifted her to his comfort, then climbed out onto the window-sill. Akalara buried her face against his back, feeling his muscles bunch and release as he jumped to the building across the street.

She kept expecting to hear alarms from below, but to her astonishment their rooftop flight somehow went unnoticed. Sephiroth sped from building to building, unseen against the starless sky. Akalara finally removed her face from his silken hair and rested her chin against his shoulder, enjoying the view. If the infantry spotted them, she'd worry.

After a few minutes, Sephiroth came to a stop. "What's wrong?" Akalara whispered, knowing her signing wouldn't be as visible in the darkness, even with his enhanced vision.

"There's a perimeter outside town." She strained, trying to spot the guard over his shoulder as he pointed. Even with the night vision that came from her exposure to mako, she could barely make out the distant forms of men and mechs.

"How do we get past that? The mechs will spot us even if we get past the infantry!"

"And SOLDIERs. Half of the people out there are wearing SOLDIER helmets. As for getting past them, we need to distract them," Sephiroth murmured. He reached inside his his coat and produced a red orb, shielding the faint glow of its magic with his other hand.

"A summon?"

"One of two," he affirmed, holding it up.

The sky lit up to their right, and Akalara felt her bones vibrate at the roar that split the air. Within moments the distant figures of men and machines were sent scrambling as a massive blur of black scales, wings, and tail whipped through the line, zapping everything with small bolts of lightning.

Sephiroth handed Akalara another summon. "Distraction only," he reminded. "We don't want too many human casualties."

She took the materia and examined it. Zack and Sephiroth had amassed a respectable collection of summon materia between them over the past few years, and before leaving Midgar they had divided them up. But there wasn't really a way to tell which was which, as far as she could tell, without actually talking to the being itself. Focusing on the left half of the quickly-disintegrating perimeter, Akalara called to the materia's magic.

_What would you have of me?_

She smiled; this was a summon she'd worked with before. _I'd like you to run amok amongst the men down there. Destroy all the mechs you want, but be careful about the men, _she thought.

_As you will. _

There was a bright flash of light, and then the left side of the perimeter was engulfed in flames. A twelve-foot demon was now racing back and forth through the line, waving its claws and shooting fireballs at those beyond its immediate reach. As with Bahamut, Ifrit saved most of its killing power for the mechs.

"I'd say they're pretty distracted, wouldn't you?" Akalara laughed.

"I would agree with you." Sephiroth put the materia away and hitched her higher on his back. "Let's just hope they didn't find the jeep. We'll need it to get across the swamp."  
"I thought you said you could handle the zoloms," she said, holding on as he leapt down from the house.

"I can, but I won't have you endangered beyond absolute necessity." Akalara gasped when he jmped clean over a half-melted scorpion mech, moving so quickly she doubted anybody could see more than a black blur, if they noticed them at all. Within minutes the chaotic excuse for a perimeter was far behind them, though the roars of the busy summons remained audible. "Zoloms are incredibly dangerous, Ak. I don't want to fight one off only to find you scorched beyond recognition if it resorts to Beta."

"And I have no intention of getting scorched. I may have a bun in the oven, but I don't want it cooked."

"It won't be if I have anything to do about it." Sephiroth skidded to a stop and let her slide off his back, gazing back at the flashes originating from Kalm's direction. "That should keep them busy long enough for the others to get out, too. Ifrit and Bahamut are too strong to be killed very fast, especially by such disorganized troops."

"They'll do it. After all, Zack's with them," Akalara assured him.

"That's what concerns me." Sephiroth looked at the distant flashes a moment longer, then trned his back on the scene and started towards the location of their hidden jeep. Akalara slowly followed, glancing over her shoulder often, until a grassy knoll obscured the sky.


	36. Chocobo Chasing

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea. Disguise materia is mine, too. SE didn't think them up; I did.

**Queen's Quornor:** Now, a chapter from Amazon! I would feel sorry for Cloud, but I like picking on him, too.

ZKCZKCZKCZKCZKCZKCZKC

A/N: Have I mentioned I like picking on Cloud? I have? Well, then let the picking begin!

Disclaimer: We own nothing. Well, I own property, but that's about it. No rights to anything cool or anything, which sucks.

Chocobo Chasing

It was just three of them. No hopes of seeing Akalara and Sephiroth anytime in the near future. They were on their own, as was their threesome. On the run for their lives, normality be damned. It was hopping from town to town, village to village, Disguise materia their only means of protection. Disguises that meant nothing to ShinRa biological scanners, damn it. They would have to be careful and give no reason to draw attention to themselves.

Kandi really needed to become more graceful. Oh gods, she wished she could be more like Akalara in that regard. Her green-haired friend moved with the grace and skill of Shiva. Kandi clomped around like a lame chocobo, as was proven in Kalm. Her klutziness could have cost them their lives. If Zack and their innocent child died, she would have been the reason.

Damn it.

Zack paused in their run beside her, leaning against a boulder and trying to catch his breath. "Guys," he huffed, sweat pouring off of his face. "I need a break. Running is harder than I thought, even in Haste."

Kandi stopped and turned toward him, watching as Cloud eased the pregnant male to the ground. Reaching into her utility vest, she pulled out a canteen, the small object returning to normal size as she handed it to him.

Zack took the canteen gratefully and swallowed a healthy drink of the water. "Thanks, Babe," he said, handing it off to her. She nodded and took a small sip before passing it to Cloud. The poor kid, though adorable in his pilfered MP uniform, looked scared shitless. Barely sixteen years old and he was running for his life with his idol and his idol's stupid secretary.

"Fuck," Kandi cursed, the gravity of the situation finally hitting her. She buried her face in her hands, trying to ease her racing heart. This was all her fault. If she hadn't have wanted to try that fucking Green Sludge, this never would have happened. She and Zack would not have had to leave Midgar, Cloud would not have been brought into the entire fucked up situation and they could be back home, causing a distraction to keep everyone off Sephiroth and Akalara's trail.

Cloud looked over at her in concern. "You okay, Kandi?" he asked softly.

She looked up at the blond cadet and managed a fake smile. "Yeah, just…hungry," she lied. Gods, the last thing she felt like doing was eating. Reaching into her vest, she produced three sandwiches, tossing one to both of the guys. "Gotta keep our strength up, boys," she told them, taking an enthusiastic bite out of her own sandwich.

Zack nibbled at his, his stomach still not in the best condition. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the rock. "So, where to first? I know we're either going to end up in Mideel or Fort Condor before the baby is born, but we can't just hang out there for six months. We'll get caught."

Cloud's eyes widened. "You mean we have to do this for six months?" he asked. "We can't just find a place and—"

"We've got to keep moving," Kandi explained, picking at her sandwich. "If three new people show up in a town and just stay, they will be investigated for sure, especially now. We can't risk getting caught. Hojo will kill Zack to find out how he managed to conceive and carry a child."

Cloud looked down at his sandwich and fiddled with the plastic around it. His eyes brightened. "But what if we take over someone's identity? Someone who's been established at a town and pretend to be them?"

"What do we do with the people we're impersonating?" Zack asked. "Kill them? I'm not a fucking murderer."

Cloud's face fell. "I know, but…running like this can't be good for you, man," he told him.

"He's right," Kandi agreed.

"But we have to," Zack told them. "It's the only choice we have. We all knew what we were getting into with this. Now we have to see it through."

"That doesn't mean we aren't going to try to figure out something to make this easier on you," Kandi snapped. Zack looked at her hard and she lowered her eyes. "Sorry, Zacky. I didn't mean to say it like that."

"I think we're all stressed and scared about this whole thing," Cloud told them. "I know I sure as hell am."

"I think," Zack began, swallowing a bite of his sandwich, "that we need to get off the continent as fast as we can. They'll be looking for us here for sure."

"So we're back to our original question," Kandi said. "Where to first?"

"Nibelheim," Cloud said. "You were supposed to go there anyway, Zack. They won't think you'll go there now, will they?"

"It could buy us a little time," Zack answered, nodding in approval. "And I know you want to check up on Tifa."

Cloud blushed. "Well, it's not like I can actually say anything to her," he said softly. "I mean, we have to be in disguise and all. She can't know it's me."

"But you'll be able to see her."

"Yeah. It's been a long time."

Kandi's ears perked up and turned her head, listening for the sound again. "Chocobos," she whispered, a grin spreading across her face. She turned to Cloud and grabbed his hand. "Come on! Let's catch some! That way, Zack doesn't have to run!"

"What? Why me?" Cloud asked as she dragged him to his feet.

"Well, Zack is pregnant, you dumbass! Your hair also looks like a chocobo's ass. My theory is that I can use you as bait and while a male chocobo is trying to fuck your face, I can catch it!"

Cloud scowled at her. "You are a mean, nasty—"

"Shut up and make with the 'warking', Spikey," Kandi said, giving him a gentle shove in the direction of the chocobos. "Besides, your armlet is equipped with Chocobo Lure materia."

"I'm gonna drop your ass in the well when we get to Nibelheim," Cloud grumbled. He took a few steps, then stopped short. "Wait. I thought he couldn't ride a chocobo, since he's pregnant and all."

Kandi snorted. "That was just Ak being paranoid. As long as he doesn't try anything too fancy and the bird's gait isn't too jarring, he should be fine."

"But-"

"I asked Doc Quorra about it a couple of weeks before we left. Now quit your stalling and start shaking your tailfeathers! I'm sure we can find a lonely boy looking for a good time out here. We just have to nab him before that good time becomes you. I've heard stories about how big a chocobo's cock can get." Seeing Cloud's face turn white as his name, she grabbed his arm and pulled him in the direction of the distant 'warks'. "C'mon, you big sissy! You can worry about changing your hairstyle and the cost of therapy when we get to Nibelheim."

Zack chuckled to himself and rested against the boulder, watching as his two friends went in search of the birds. He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared. It was ridiculous. He was a SOLDIER First Class and he was scared. Of course, considering that the company he had worked so loyally for was now after him didn't make matters any better. And what was worse, he had brought Kandi and Cloud along, endangering their lives as well. If anything happened to either one of them…well, he would never forgive himself. He would fight for as long as he could. After that, he had no choice but to depend on them.

He never should have brought Cloud into this. Kandi was as much a part of this as he was since it was her child as well. But he had no business involving Cloud.

"Good time to be second-guessing your decision now, Zack," he muttered to himself. Finally finishing off his sandwich, he reached for the canteen and took a drink of water to wash it down. In hind sight, he shouldn't have asked Cloud to join them. But part of him was glad he did. He had to think of it as positive training for Cloud. The boy could have said no, but he had decided to help out his friend and mentor. The decision had been his.

But that didn't make the guilt any easier to bear.

Zack's thoughts were interrupted with an ear-piercing shriek and a blond blur racing in front of him, followed closely by a six-foot yellow bird. A brown and red-streaked blur raced after the chocobo, screaming "Throw him the greens! Throw him the greens!"

"What fucking greens?!" Cloud shrieked back, activating his Haste so he could run faster.

"The ones I…oh shit! The ones in my pocket! Hang on!" Kandi switched out her Fire materia for a Throw and tossed the gyshal greens at the chocobo. The bird instantly stopped to eat the greens and Kandi captured it, collapsing on the ground in relief.

Cloud turned slightly to see that the feathered demon was no longer in pursuit and fell backward onto the ground, heaving in exhaustion. Eyes closed, he slowed his breathing, fear that his virginity would be lost to a giant flightless bird eased for the moment. Until he opened his eyes and stared up into a beak and feathers.

"Wark?"

"AAAHHH!" Cloud screamed, leaping to his feet and taking off again.

Kandi heard the scream and secured the captured bird. "Remove the Chocobo Lure, you twit!" she yelled, throwing another bushel of greens at the new chocobo in pursuit of the human chocobo.

"I'll get you for this!" Cloud shrieked, fidgeting with his armlet and removing the materia. He tossed the orb to the ground and looked back, freaking out when he saw the bird was still chasing him. "Why is he still here?!"

Kandi ran up behind him and picked up the materia. "You removed the All, you asshat!" she yelled at him. "Gods damn it! SUMMON!"

The sky parted in magnificent glory, separating so the summon could perform its task. "Stop the chocobo!" Kandi shouted in order.

And the summon stopped the chocobo, by dropping an even larger and fatter chocobo on it. Cloud collapsed on the ground again, taking the Chocobo Lure materia and throwing it at Kandi, hitting her in the chest.

"I fucking hate you," he stated before passing out.

Kandi went over and examined the squashed chocobo, relieved that it was still alive. Casting a low level Cure spell, she healed its injuries. Looking over at Zack, she was relieved to see him laughing. That, at least, was one thing she could do right. Everything else…well, they'd work it out along the way.

ZKCZKCZKCZKCZKCZKCZKC

A/N: (snickers) Poor, poor Cloud.


	37. Shinra Files: The Business

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor:** Maniac's chapter, with further expansion on the goings-on back in Midgar. I like how he writes the Shinra executives!

**-------------------**

**A/N: This one is a personal idea of mine, to try and shake off the cobwebs of year-long writers block. Also, the role of Heidegger will be played tonight by BRIAN BLESSED! (All caps was necessary to type BRIAN BLESSED)**

Shinra Files: The Business

Executive meetings were a fact of life in the higher levels of the backstabbing hierarchy that was Shinra management. It was at first a way of checking to see if someone had hired an assassin to kill the others, then a method of allowing the cleaners to get into the laboratories when Professor Gast or Hojo steadfastly refused to leave for anything that didn't potentially involve all of his work being thrown in the nearest compacter, incinerated, exorcised and/or purged with fire and/or salt. All of which would be vital to the survival of the entire existence, but as is the curse of the narrator: unable to point out that maybe the crazy guy should be kicked in the head so hard that it detached from his body, flew over the ocean, and was gobbled up by a sea monster.

As I was saying, the meetings had become akin to vultures fighting over a recently dead husk. The main executives of the departments of Biological Sience, Weapon Development, National Security, Urban Development, and Space Exploration had gathered around the conference table armed with their latest proposals in an attempt to expand what each felt was a budget that could not support them.

"We'd be making a lot more progress if we upped the budget a little. The rocket is complete, but there are still a lot of safety checks that we have to go through. In particular we noticed that the oxygen tanks used are of an astonishingly low quality compared to the rest of the ship," Palmer said, giving his weekly progress report on the type 49 rocket, based west of Corel.

"So what possibilities do open up for us if everything goes according to plan?" President Shinra asked, his voice failing to veil his sense of infinite boredom. He'd called this meeting for one main reason, who had yet to show his face.

"Well if we know manned space travel is possible, we can look into possible colonization of other planets, find any alien life forms which I'm sure the science department would be interested in, not to mention possible colonization!" Palmer said, enthusiasm abounding despite the looks from the remainder of the board minus one, waiting for any questions with a smug look of satisfaction before Reeve, chief of Urban Development, interrupted his grand speech on "Space, the final frontier."

"Unfortunately, we have things more closely related to home to deal with. For example, the recent string of reactor attacks has brought to light some flaws with the older models. Reactor 0001 on Mount Nibel, the first reactor to be built, has been fluctuating wildly and attracting monsters," the blue-suited man said in a monotone, passing out a few sheets. Heidegger of National Security scowled at one, turning it upside down to see if the diagram made any more sense that way up. "No Shinra personnel were sent there in the end and should the situation not be fixed, we could be looking at a meltdown. It does not have the safety features installed in the new ones, so there is the potential for a worst case scenario. However, this is only theoretical as a mako reactor has never gone critical before and we do not know what the results would be. As such it is in our best interests to stay on the safe side and solve whatever problem was caused there before we find out the consequences of inaction."

"Why didn't anyone got sent there again?" Palmer asked to a chorus of groans.

"Because the two First Class SOLDIER members, Zackary Fair and Sephiroth, both took leave and now have gone AWOL," Reeve explained.

"We have already sent out searches to hopefully bring them back in one piece and SOLDIER command is currently distributed amongst the First Class officers, who fall directly under our combined jurisdiction; this was covered ten minutes ago and I should not have to remind you, Palmer. The current SOLDIER hierarchy may not be as efficient as one commander, but it is the best we can do as no real leader has emerged, and no one wishes to accept the role as director to add to their current workload."

"Out of the way, fools! Do you not recognize who I am?" a nasally voice shouted outside the conference room doors. They swung open to allow Professor Hojo access to the rest of the board meeting, and possibly guaranteeing a nameless guard a pay cut. "Imbeciles! Ignoramuses! I apologize for my lateness but my work requires my full attention, especially since certain circumstances arose," he said, brushing off any dust on his shoulders with gloved hands before taking his seat at the near end of the table.

"Hojo, and here I thought you weren't going to make it on time," Scarlet said, mocking concern with a false smile.

"Ah my dear Scarlet, it would be perilous for me not to attend these and although most of the decisions can be reached without my input, there is one matter I'd like to personally bring to the table. A matter of gravest importance, as it concerns our two runaways and their immediate retrieval."

"We have done all that we are prepared to do."

Hojo blinked, expecting to have been allowed to make his requests for more forces known. "Excuse me?" he spluttered out, trying to get over the shock of being denied something.

"I read your proposal and addressed it at the start of the meeting, and we have decided to decline on sending such a large force to retrieve them," President Shinra declared as Hojo struggled to regain composure.

"What about the Jenova project? Due to certain circumstances surrounding the two we have nearly reached a breakthrough in our engineered elite; surely you do not wish to endanger this. Need I remind you that one of them is still Sephiroth, the most powerful SOLDIER ever created? For any chance of capture I need everything in the military at my disposal!"

"You haven't divulged the full explanation of what this new wing of the project is yet. You can't expect us all to drop everything because you say so. While I will concede that a rogue First Class is a matter of grave concern, there are other issues to consider here," Scarlet informed him, taking a sadistic delight in how the scientist's face twisted with rage.

"She's right. We got bigger fish to fry here and we can do it without worrying about your poster boys. It seems Verdot left a job half-finished, and I have to pick up the pieces and squash the cockroaches before they start multiplying," Heidegger explained with a typical lack of formality.

"This is outrageous! Never before have my requests for subject acquisition been refused!"

"Your request to bring the two back has not been refused, Hojo. We are still searching for General Sephiroth and Colonel Zackary Fair. However, after the disaster of Kalm, which was undertaken without any of our express permission..."

"What about the Turk trainee that escaped with them?"

"What about her? Apart from your mako level bullshit, I mean. Only a few of the Turks are using that stuff and none of the trainees have had any further injections, unless you've been doping them behind my back."

"I'll have you know that I haven't touched any of your precious Turks, and as for 'what about her', she needs to be brought to the laboratories as well."

"Why? Need an insurance policy to make sure your Boy Wonder stays put?"

"ENOUGH!" President Shinra shouted. Heidegger and Hojo dropped their argument quickly. "The search for Sephiroth and his group will continue as scheduled. No more than 5% of any grade of SOLDIER may be assigned to this task and only one Turk shall be given responsibility to organize the group and probe for further information concerning this matter. The member of the Turks assigned to this shall be decided by Heidegger. Additionally, due to your personal failures Hojo, I shall be reallocating a considerable proportion of your budget to Scarlet."

"I simply cannot believe this…" Hojo mumbled.

"If you have any complaints there is still the suggestion box on the 59th floor. That will be all gentlemen."

_For all my good work to be… tossed to the wayside for some rats…_ "Out of my way!" the scientist shouted to the conference room guards, pacing back towards the labs. _My projects… I have a limited time window for this; the point of conception could not have been so recent as to draw attention to her pregnancy but that still can take up multiple weeks and with the possibility of a premature birth…_

"I think he's slightly upset," Reeve noted, exiting the room with Scarlet.

"You make it sound as though you care about him, Reeve."

"Please. I'm a genuinely nice person with the good of the people in mind. Of course I don't care about Hojo."

----------------

Time had not been kind to the Head of Security over the past month. The monsters at the reactors kicked off what became a game of throwing him and his department into locations between large rocks and spiky rocks. First the freak of nature that was Genesis and his clone army, then the shipping sabotage, and now this. It required skilled leadership to steer people through troubled times, and that meant delegating the job to someone who didn't need a bottle of whiskey hidden in the drawer of his desk to get through the day.

"Tseng, where are you?" Heidegger asked through the intercom.

"Here, sir," replied Tseng as soon as the department head let go of the intercom button. Heidegger did a double-take, as the Turk in question was standing the opposite side of the desk

"How the hell do you do that?" he asked, perplexed as Tseng shrugged it off.

"Practice."

"Obviously. Trying to do that probably takes time to master all the different routes to my office, and then sneak in without me noticing anything is very impressive and all…" Heidegger mumbled, trying to make some sense of what had happened.

"Was there something you needed?" Tseng asked politely.

Heidegger snapped back to reality. "Yes, there was. You've been with the new lot long enough to know who's important, who's good and who's bad at being a Turk, and who needs to be taken around the back of the building and have two bullets in the back of the head."

"In all fairness, all the sub-standard Turks have been killed on missions."

"Obviously. You'd hardly be a Turk if you couldn't come away from a simple mission unscathed. But I need you to find someone who doesn't work as well as the rest, because I'll be damned before I give anyone important to Hojo… Lousy freak, thinks he owns the place and throw his weight around. First the Ancient surveillance, and now this," he grumbled, no love lost between the departments there.

"What sort of mission, may I ask?"

"Retrieval, two SOLDIER runaways. You probably know the two; they're the talk of nearly every other part of Shinra. The Science Department wants them in the labs yesterday and the quicker he shuts up, the faster I can -"

"Zackary Fair and Sephiroth for capture, understood," Tseng interrupted, trying to process the new information, his muscles tense and his posture stiff.

"Oh, almost forgot: one of the trainees supposedly did a runner and is off with them. He wants her back in the labs, too."

"Any particular reason why?" Tseng asked, trying to prevent his voice from showing any emotion other than slight intrigue.

"Tseng," Heidegger's tone dropped as he stared the Turk in the eye, "I am not a man who is scared easily. But, what goes on in that bastard's head scares the crap out of me."

"I see. Perhaps an unorthodox approach is necessary here, considering the two SOLDIERs involved."

"Thinking outside of the box… could work. Do we have anyone particular for that?" Tseng allowed himself a small smile at that question; who got sent was his decision. There was a way out of this predicament, but it required a particular type of mentality. One used to surviving in harsh conditions where both success and failure could be dire for different people. One used to the world under the shiny surface. A slum rat.

"Two-gun, a former bodyguard to the Corneo enterprise. I've talked about his behaviour before, but I feel that an open retrieval mission outside of Midgar would suit him better. Also, his cooperation is not necessary to any other on-going operation." _Smart enough not to get himself killed, but doubtful that he'd be any use in capturing the two._

"Right, tell him to report to my office at once."

-----------

**So I may have somewhat humanized the executives, but look at the positives. We now have a potential plot point to develop, and a potential villain who won't just stay in the labs 24/7. Yay for forced plot motion.**


	38. Mine is the Swamp

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor:** Is it just me, or does the Swamp seem like a poor excuse for a swamp? I'm not comparing it to a bayou or anything like that, but the scene when Cloud and Co. first try to cross it really makes me think "forest" rather than "swamp". Maybe I'm just being picky; the graphics weren't the best back then, so maybe that's just the best Square could do at the time. As for the various attacks in this chapter, all I can say is that I've been playing too much Dissidia and Crisis Core. It's fun trying to tie to new stuff in with the old from the original game!

Mine is the Swamp

The swamp did not look like a swamp.

Akalara tried to compare this swamp with all the pictures and descriptions of swamps she'd seen since Sephiroth had taught her how to read. It just seemed too barren for a swamp, too dry. Swamps were supposed to be filthy, soggy, and clouded with little bloodsuckers buzzing in their victims' ears. By Akalara's reckoning, this was more like a scraggly excuse for a forest than a swamp. The fact that the jeep was having no trouble whatsoever bouncing along the uneven road certainly supported her claim.

She slumped down in her seat, brushing some of her dark green hair out of her face for the umpteenth time with an irritated sigh. Sephiroth glanced over at her.

"I said no, and I meant it."

"Seph, you're exhausted. If you won't let me drive the entire way to the mines, at least let me get us halfway there so you can get some sleep."

"I'll sleep once we're out of this swamp. Of the two of us, I'm the only one who has been here before. I know the way to the mines." He rubbed at his eyes, blinking hard. "I drive. You watch for zoloms."

"I don't know whether that's your pride or your common sense talking, but it is exasperating as hell. You can barely keep your eyes open!" Seeing that he was studiously ignoring her, Akalara snorted and turned back to the window, or rather, what remained of it. The jeep had taken quite a beating during the Sweepers' attack before they reached Kalm, and the fact that it ran at all now was a testament to the mechanics who had fixed it up for the Turks' use. Not many engines would keep going after getting rammed that hard.

Staring out the mostly-absent window, the green-haired teen slowly found her thoughts turning to the child she carried. She still had roughly seven months left before her due date, so their child was neither very large nor possessed of many distinguishable features at this point. It was too early to even tell the sex yet. But by the time it was delivered, all of that would be concrete and obvious.

It could be a girl, with her father's molten hair and her mother's short stature. Perhaps a boy, green of eyes and hair. What if it took after neither of them? Akalara's mother had been a brunette, and her father a dark-eyed blond. Sephiroth had never known his parents, so anything was possible on his side of the equation. For all she knew, their baby could wind up with black hair and eyes just as easily as their unique characteristics.

She absently ran a hand over the small mound rising from her lower abdomen. Whatever it looked like, their child would be strong. That much, at least, was a given in her mind. Akalara always thought of herself as weak, but the truth was that she did possess a formidable measure of inner strength. The weak didn't last long on Midgar's dirty streets, and she'd managed to claw her way into a much better life, such as it was, long before she'd met her silver-haired love. Sephiroth himself was one of the strongest men on the entire Planet, a swordman without peer. It was more than physical ability that allowed him to wield the notoriously picky Masamune. On top of that, he had also survived more than a decade in Hojo's lab, _and _come out with his mind in one piece. It was impossible that their child wouldn't inherit the power of inner and physical strength from the two of them. Whatever they encountered in their self-imposed exile, their baby would survive, just as they had.

Akalara smiled, thinking about the warrior cradled inside her womb. Though tiny and helpless now, chances were that the entire world would be his or hers, someday.

Something caught her eye, and she looked quickly to a stand of trees just to the right behind them. A slight sheen of greyish scales flashed in her vision, and she inhaled sharply. "Seph, there's a zolom behind us!"

He cursed. "How close?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. She'd never seen a real zolom before, so the section she'd spotted could be anywhere on the beast. "It was close, though."

Sephiroth nodded, and Akalara fully expected him to gun the engine. To her horror, he stopped the jeep entirely. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I can't push the engine much further in this swamp than I already am. You say here," he ordered, forcing his door open and climbing out.

Akalara wanted to protest, but her voice died when she caught sight of an enormous snout not twenty feet away, poking out from between some trees. She ducked down in her seat and just watched her love sprint away to a more open area.

The zolom was surprisingly fast for its size. It lunged for Sephiroth, who merely stood his ground, Masamune at the ready. The silver-haired man dodged at the last second and cut hard at its head. The katana sank deep, but all it did was cut a gaping hole into the zolom's jaw. The snake hissed its pain and retreated a short distance, rearing up to its full height. Akalara gawked up at it and wondered how Sephiroth didn't seem afraid. This zolom was taller than most of the buildings she'd ever seen.

Sephiroth wasn't cowering in fear, but he did seem to be having some trouble focusing. "I _told_ you to get some sleep," the green-haired teen groaned desperately, watching him shake his head to try and clear the fuzziness. The zolom also seemed to know that its opponent wasn't in top form. It struck at him again, but when he moved to the side it became clear that the serpent was actually possessed of some real intelligence. It stopped just short of Masamune's range, and Akalara stifled a shriek as the tail whipped round and flicked him away.

Sephiroth slammed into a tree with bone-crunching force. Helpless and white-knuckled, the green-haired teen watched him crash through the sparse branches and hit the dirt, with the tree's knobby roots stealing whatever cushioning it might have provided . He managed to find his feet, standing shakily, in obvious pain. Masamune wobbled in his grip as the zolom slithered closer.

Akalara scrambled for their box of materia. At this range she would need a mastered Restore to heal him without attracting the snake's attention. She rifled through the colorful orbs, sending several bouncing to the floor. Seeing that the zolom was preparing to strike and Sephiroth was still shaking his head, the frantic teen accidentally grabbed a yellow sphere.

Knowledge flooded her brain the moment her fingers closed around the cool crystal. She knew how to attack, defend, weaken, and strengthen in specific ways normally available only to certain creatures. Big Guard, Chocobuckle, Aqualung, Magic Hammer... They were all there, ready within this materia at a moment's notice. But as intriguing and helpful as they were, there was only one Akalara wanted then.

"White Wind!" she cried, flinging a hand out at her silver-haired love.

From her fingertips issued a cool mist, heavy with dew. It sped towards the injured swordsman and wrapped around him, briefly obscuring him from view. The zolom paused, confused by the cloud enveloping its prey. It hissed and flicked its tongue, tasting the mist inquisitively.

The calm mist suddenly spun into a miniature cyclone, and as its spinning unravelled into nothingness Sephiroth stood tall once more, alert and seemingly uninjured. The zolom hissed its surprise and Akalara breathed a heartfelt sigh. The same knowledge that allowed her to cast the spell had also given her its limitations; there was no telling how much it would heal on any given occasion.

With a nod in her direction, the silver-haired man launched himself at the snake. The zolom contorted around Masamune's swings, though often the katana's tip sliced a thin line into the broad scales of its underbelly. Sephiroth danced around the fangs and tail, countering with strikes of his own that bit deep. The zolom's surprising quickness, however, always managed to remove its body from the blade before anything vital was hit. The dark scales ran with blood, but still the serpent lived.

The tail slapped at him again, sending Sephiroth somersaulting to the side. Akalara winced, seeing how deep a trench the tail left in the turf. Sephiroth, however, seemed to spot something else. The next swing of Masamune produced three streaks of pale blue light that cut deeply into the zolom's back, forcing it forward a few feet. The snake twisted around the tree Sephiroth had hit earlier, searching for its prey with pain-maddened eyes.

Off to the side, metal glinted.

Suddenly the zolom's snout was pointing skyward, and Sephiroth hovered above it with Masamune raised high overhead. He chopped, and the zolom's hiss escalated into a hair-raising shriek as the naked tip of the tree's trunk pierced the soft flesh of its jaw. So great was the force of the blow that the snake continued down the trunk, snapping off limbs and sending bark plummeting until it came to a stop, with nearly a quarter of the trunk slick and bloody to mark its passing.

Akalara just stared. She had always known her love was powerful. But this...

If ever there was a reason to fear him, the reptillian corpse twitching on the tree was a fine one. But despite how terrifyingly strong he was, he didn't use it indisciminently. Sephiroth reserved his wrath for his enemies and protected those he found worthy; he never raised Masamune without reason, and never attacked an unarmed opponent. Despite his vast power, Sephiroth rarely lost control. Akalara knew this, and she did not fear him.

The swish of Masamune's swing broke her trance, and Akalara watched the zolom's blood splatter across the long grass of the swamp. Sephiroth put his spotless blade away and returned to the jeep. "Are you all right?"

She looked at him curiously. "Of course, Seph. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Just making sure." He pulled the door open and slid into the driver's side. "Thank you for healing me, Ak."

Akalara smiled. "No problem, Seph."

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

The mines were wide enough for the jeep, surprisingly. Despite the invigorating effects of the White Wind spell, Sephiroth was soon rubbing his eyes and shaking his head within minutes of driving inside. Akalara had managed to convince him to pull over in a side tunnel, and it hadn't taken long for her silver-haired love to crawl into the back, curl up against her pack, and fall asleep. That had been several hours ago, and he was still back there, totally lost to the waking world. At the moment his patient lady-love was cleaning her guns, keeping watch while he rested.

Even in sleep he looks powerful, she mused. But at the same time, he seems so young and fragile, almost helpless. What a strange way to think about _Sephiroth_, of all people. But then again, she'd been pondering the many oddities and inconsistencies about him ever since she'd started getting to know him. This was just one of the many she'd noticed, though admittedly she rarely got the opportunity to observe him in sleep. He usually rose before she did, even when they had merely slept the night before. He tended to be an early riser, and Akalara preferred to sleep in.

She felt a pleased smile curl the corners of her lips. He trusted her, she knew that, but it was always thrilling to find little clues of that trust in their everyday life.

She finished cleaning the revolver in her lap and began loading it. This was the newest addition to her arsenal, a model 500 Smyth & Westron .50 calibur magnum. The gun was a little heavier than she liked, but the holes it could punch through targets was more than worth the added heft. It was a gift from Sephiroth, and he had gotten the gun engraved with his nickname in a stylized script before presenting it to her shortly after their return from Wutai. Akalara smirked as she ran her thumb over the letters and the katana underscoring them; only her man would consider the most powerful handgun available to the general public to be an appropriate baby gift.

Putting the gun back in its case, the green-haired teen leaned back against the seat and listened to Sephiroth breathe. It was very quiet in the mines, especially after the constant buzzing of the swamp's many insectoid inhabitants. She could hear water dripping somewhere deeper in the tunnels.

And it was starting to get to her.

She rubbed her thighs together restlessly, attempting to ignore the incessant dripping sound. It would be less stimulating if the water was merely splattering against the bluish rock of the floor. But of course there had to be a puddle involved, and certainly the winding tunnels and cavernous junctions had to rebound the sound waves, sending the echoing _plip_ straight to her brain with the accuracy of a heat-seeking missile. With each resonating impact of water droplet meeting puddle, Akalara felt her bladder contract a little further.

Leaky faucets had _nothing _on incubating spawn and drippy tunnels.

Akalara toyed with the idea of just holding it, but the pressure was starting to really hurt. Sephiroth barely stirred as she got out of the jeep, gently closing the door behind her. Not wanting to put much distance between herself and her sleeping man, the green-haired teen settled on kneeling at the jeep's side to relieve herself. With her head on her knuckles and her elbow on her naked thigh, she mused on this irritating facet of pregnancy. A growing baby put pressure on the other internal organs, cramming them out of the way until the uterus ran out of room.. Akalara wasn't having any problems with heartburn or breathing yet, but already there was an increased need for rest stops, much to her annoyance. She was dreading the day she'd have to start searching for a bathroom, latrine, or handy bush the moment she polished off a drink.

She finished and stood back up, reaching for her discarded pants and the thigh holsters containing her .45s. Maybe I should start wearing skirts instead of jeans, she thought to herself. It would mean less protection if something goes for my legs, but at least I wouldn't have to take my pants off and on every time I have to piss.

She climbed back in the jeep. Sephiroth was still asleep in the back, though he had rolled over to face away from her. An affectionate smile grew on her face as she reached back to run her fingers through his hair. He didn't move, but her smile widened when she heard the contented purr from beyond his shoulder. She sometimes teased him about his feline grace and slitted pupils, and this unconscious purring was a favored target. Invariably he would respond to this teasing by rubbing up against her or slinking around her, murmuring about how cats always got what they wanted if they were hungry enough. She shivered lightly at the memories that followed such responses.

Akalara withdrew her hand, refusing to give into temptation and join him in the back. He needed to sleep, not satiate her sudden horniness.

A sigh escaped her. _He _could sleep. _She _had to make sure he stayed that way, no matter how boring it was.

Something crashed in the distance.

The green-haired teen started, feeling her pulse triple its pace at the unexpected noise. She listened carefully, hoping her mind was only playing tricks on her. There couldn't have been a glassy clink to that noise, right?

Now she heard voices, and her heart sank. It was difficult to tell with the echoes, but it sounded like there were three intruders, two men and a woman.

"Do you think the rumors are true?"

"Who knows? Sephiroth's always been the face of SOLDIER and Zack was the other big star. Doesn't seem possible that they just up and left the company."

"But the chances of their getting captured are even less! You've heard all the stories about how powerful they both are. Nobody would be able to hold them against their will."

"But there's no reason for them to just up and leave. Can you imagine how much gil they get paid in royalties each year? If I were them, I'd never dream of giving all that up!"

Akalara rolled her eyes. Sephiroth and Zack made respectable money, but they really weren't as rich as the average civilian seemed to think. Most of the royalties they earned from poster shoots, commercial appearances, and interviews went straight into Shinra's pockets with only a pittance left for the man in question. Being famous did not exactly pay well these days.

"Do you think there's any chance there's more to it? I heard something about three other people going missing at the same time. I think it was a cadet and two women." Akalara put her sarcasm aside and leaned closer to the gaping hole in her window, straining to catch the echoing conversation. "Actually, I think one of them was the girl Sephiroth's supposed to be dating right now."

"Harley, don't get started on that sappy crap. She probably got snatched by one of his fan clubs for daring to touch their great idol."

"It is a pretty weird coincidence, Jaeke. Maybe they did run away together."

"Marv's got a point."

"And what about Zack? How would he figure into this little scenerio?"

"Maybe they got in a fight over her, and one got killed so the others ran off."

"Are you so sure the chick was the one being fought over? What if she and Zack got into it over Sephiroth?"

"'Cause both of them are confirmed heteros. If there was a triangle going on, it had to be over her."

"Whatever. What about the other two? Are they mixed up in this little escape theory?"

"It's possible, Jaeke. They worked for Shinra, too."

Akalara listened to them a bit longer, convinced that they weren't as great a threat as she had initially feared and vaguely amused by their speculations. Sephiroth and Zack killing each other? That would never happen, especially not over her or any other woman. They were too close to ever come to genuine, murderous violence in a fight.

What really interested her was what this trio was doing there in the first place. The mines weren't exactly easy to access, and it seemed unlikely that they were searching for mithril. Allowing her curiosity to get the better of her, the green-haired teen cast a barrier on the jeep as she slipped out, just in case something decided to investigate the vehicle while she was gone. She trotted in the direction of the voices, a swift shadow in the dark tunnels, grateful for the additional stealth training she'd received from the Turks. Unless she made a horrible mistake, these kids would never spot her.

And kids they were, she realized, catching sight of them in an open area straight ahead. They looked no older than she was, maybe a little younger. Teenagers exploring an old mine, drinking where their parents couldn't find them. The girl, Harley, was passing out bottles of beer from a cardboard case and the two boys were joking about something while tipping the bottles back. Akalara saw a jacknife clipped to one of their belts and shook her head in wonder. She'd never had the luxury of teenage invincibility; she had never gone anywhere without a knife and at least one gun since...well, about as long as she could remember. How had these kids gotten past the zolom? A peasly little jacknife wouldn't do shit against anything that wasn't made of wood.

"Where do you think they went, if they did run off somewhere?" one of the boys asked, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "I mean, Shinra's everywhere these days. You can't go anywhere without seeing 'em somewhere."

The other boy shrugged. "Cosmo Canyon? I hear that place is free, since there isn't much mako in the area."

"If I was them, I'd run up north. Who would care enough to chase you into sub-zero temps?"

"Actually, I'd think Mideel would be good. Nothing but old geezers there." Harley plopped down beside the taller boy and he slung an arm over her shoulders, his hand resting suspiciously close to her modest rack.

"Well, I don't care where they went. Shinra'll track 'em down sooner or later. Nobody can hide from them forever." The other boy tossed his empty bottle aside and pulled out the bottle-opener on his knife, fitting a fresh beer to it and bending the cap off with practiced ease.

"I still say it makes more sense for them to have been captured, and the other three are just coincidences," the naysayer declared.

"Even with that one Sephiroth's dating?" Harley asked, looking up at her apparent boyfriend. "If they really are chained up somewhere, how do you explained her disappearance, Jaeke?"

'Jaeke' snorted. "Weren't you listening, Harley? I said I bet she was kidnapped by a horde of Sephiroth fangirls. Some of those bitches are out of their frickin' minds when it comes to him, and I bet they don't appreciate some hussy coming in and snapping him up out of the blue."

Akalara bristled at his labelling her a "hussy", but said nothing. There was one thing to comfort her in this conversation, and that was the implication that the general public still didn't know much about the disappearance of two major celebrities and their three friends. Their mutual flight wasn't as obvious as she had feared.

She listened to the trio a little longer and decided she would learn nothing else from them, apart from their thoughts on various fan clubs and how Marv had never seen Harley's boobs. She had just turned to leave when she heard the flutter of wings. Akalara had seen a few bats up in the corners earlier, but these wings sounded too big and fast for a tiny flying mammal, or even a group of them. A sudden shriek confirmed it; that was a monster of some sort.

The green-haired teen hesitated, wanting to help but unwilling to reveal herself. If these kids survived, they could tell stories about seeing her in here. But she couldn't just leave them to die. She'd seen more than her fair share of young death on the streets, and caused some during her years with the Shade Wolves; she'd come too far in her life to just walk away and let something like that happen when she could do something to stop it.

There was a resounding clang of metal and the crunch of a body slamming against rock, and she was already reaching for her Disguise materia.

When she swung inside the cavern a moment later, she took in the scene with eyes shielded by a pair of safety goggles. One of the boys, Marv, lay helpless against the far wall, weakly coughing up blood. A mountain range seemed to have sprouted beneath his shirt, which was rapidly turning crimson. Harley was cowering behind Jaeke, who held a switchblade up like a shield. They were being advanced on by a pink monster swinging a wicked-looking metal ball overhead by a length of black chain. A yellowish, vaguely insectoid reptile hovered menacingly above it.

The first thing Akalara did was cast Big Guard on the three kids. The flying monster hissed at the bright light that flooded the cavern at the spell's manifestation, and the two standing teens stumbled backward. Akalara thumbed the safety on her .45s and shot at the pink monster, driving it back a few steps and away from the stunned pair. "Get out of here!" she yelled at them, casting a Fire at the flying thing.

The teens fled from the monsters and their unexpected savior, but instead of running away they crouched beside their injured friend in a weak attempt at protection. Akalara was too busy to command them again; the pink monster had recovered and was swinging its flail at her while its airborne sidekick dove for her head. She threw herself to the side, clear of the impact, and came up shooting. The flying monster was quicker than she expected, but the pink thing roared its pain as one bullet destroyed its shoulder. Unfortunately for Akalara, it was the wrong shoulder. The flail came at her again and shattered the case of beer, sending the golden substance and crystalline shards far and wide across the cavern. Great, she thought, coming out of her backflip with bloody knuckles and both guns blazing. As if I didn't have enough to worry about without broken glass...

She cast another Fire at the winged critter and cursed as it shot through the fiery sphere, completely devoid of burns. Its swiping claws missed her chest by inches, and as Akalara ducked the swinging flail of the other monster she caught sight of the materia in her left gun's slot, an orb she had completely forgotten. Activating it, she whipped around in a tight circle, squeezing the triggers of her guns as she spun. At the end of the spin the pink monster toppled over, riddled with holes. The flying thing chittered and zipped into a high corner of the ceiling. Akalara exchanged the empty clip in her right gun for a fresh one and watched its movements, noting the sizable wound in its abdomen. It was already as good as dead. Why was it so intent on attacking?

She moved closer to the kids, careful of the distance. It didn't surprise her when the monster shot forward and fire billowed from its mouth. The kids screamed and pressed against the wall, terrified but otherwise uninjured by the attack. There had been just enough space between her and them for the flames to stop just short of their position, and Akalara was wearing a ring that kept her from getting scorched. Sephiroth had insisted she wear it when they first entered the swamp, all but jamming it on her finger when she pointed out that he would need it more if they ran into any zoloms; she made a mental note to thank him for it later.

The moment the flames stopped coming at her, she snapped her guns up and squeezed off two shots, both bullets disappearing inside the monster's gaping maw. Gore sprayed from the back of its neck and sprayed across the wall and floor as the creature dropped, its wings ruined by her next shots. Akalara approached it warily, and its body twitched violently a moment later, when she put one last bullet in its skull.

Breathing hard, she turned to face the kids. They were staring at her, and she reached up to pull her goggles off as she went to them, letting them dangle around her neck by their elastic band. "Are you kids all right?" she asked, dropping to her knees beside them.

Jaeke nodded, his eyes wide and scared. Harley's teeth worried at her lower lip, but she plucked up her courage. "Th-thank you, ma'am."

"No problem," Akalara said, probing for a pulse on Marv's neck. She frowned, prompting Jaeke to speech.

"Is he okay?" he asked, his voice quavering.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But maybe... Yes, he's still alive." The pulse was very weak, but it was still present and accounted for. Akalara brushed her fingers over a materia in her pocket, and the two kids gasped as their friend's crushed side suddenly resumed into its usual smooth curve. Jaeke dared to lift Marv's shirt, revealing skin unmarred by bruises or broken ribs erupting through the flesh. The blood remained, but it was obvious that no more would be spilling from horrific wounds anytime soon. "He'll be okay. But you kids should get out of here," Akalara urged.

"Can you carry him, Jaeke?" Harley asked, rising and vainly brushing at the blood caking her knees.

"Yeah." He pulled Marv up and slung him over his neck in a fireman's carry. "Thanks again, ma'am. You really saved our asses there."

Akalara felt a smile creep into existence. She had never been thanked for killing something before. "Don't worry about it. Just go home, and start drinking somewhere a little closer to it. You'll live longer that way."

"Wait!" Harley's call stopped her before she vanished back into the gloom of the tunnels. "Can we get your name, please? I mean, you did save us and all. Heroes should have names."

Akalara just looked at her, surprised. Hero? She was a hero? All she had done was keep them from getting eaten. That wasn't heroic, was it? "Uh, okay. My name's Lennette," she replied. "Now get going, before you wind up running into something else."

"Why don't you come with us?" Jaeke asked. "We could use the help, if we do."

"Sorry, but I have to get back to work. I have a quota to meet." She opened her arms, indicating her dusty, bloody miner's garb. "Saving lives doesn't exactly put bread on the table, y'know."

The kids seemed to take that as reasonable explanation. They left after one more round of "thank you's" and Akalara sighed deeply, ducking back into her tunnel before they could change their minds. If they were dumb enough to come into these mines without any real weapons, hopefully they were stupid enough not to wonder why a female miner would be running around with guns and materia in the tunnels, alone. At least she was assured of one thing: they couldn't possibly make a connection between a missing green-haired woman and a lone blonde miner.

Pulling off the helmet and running her gloved fingers across her scalp, she found her gaze drawn to the dead critters, in particular the winged one. Monsters usually weren't that persistant, especially when greviously wounded. What had made it so unwilling to retreat?

She plopped her helmet back atop her head. It wouldn't take too long to figure out why. Sephiroth should still be asleep when she got back.

SASASASASASASASASASASASASASA

He felt his dreamy haze begining to lift, his body informing him that it had gotten enough rest and it was time to wake up. He grumbled and rolled over, reaching out for the sleep-softened form that lay beside him in the bed, eager to bury his face against her silky hair and return to his dreams.

His groping hand smacked into a sharp corner. Sephiroth came fully awake with a pained snarl, cradling his injured hand against his chest and glaring at the offending potions box. The box, of course, was not reduced to a quivering mass of fearful jelly; the silver-haired man grumbled again and sat up, remembering where they were now that he was awake. "How long was I out, Ak?" he muttered, shaking out his hand before rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

No reply came to his inquiry, and Sephiroth twisted around to look at the jeep's front. Had she fallen asleep too? He crawled over the boxes and bags to poke his head around the passenger's seat.

The _empty _passenger's seat.

Panic surged and he hauled himself fully into the front half of the jeep, opening the driver's side so he could get out and look around. He dashed around the exterior of the vehicle, driven by an irrational hope that she had simply gotten out and hadn't gone off by herself, but it was clear that this side-tunnel was devoid of pregnant, green-haired teenage females.

He called Masamune to his hand, ignoring the frantic rhythm of the heart that had moved to the base of his throat. Wherever she had gone, he would find her, he vowed, jogging into the darkness of the hollowed-out earth. He would prowl through every tunnel, search every nook and cranny until he found her. Any creature that dared cross his path would die before it had the chance to hinder his progress. And woe to any monster that had harmed her, or stolen her away. He would tear this place apart with his bare hands if that was what it took to find her. He had to get to her, had to return her to his side, where she belonged.

In his mind's eye he saw an image of his love, his heart, lying helpless and bloody at the feet of some shadowy monster, her torso ripped open and gore-tipped claws shredding her womb into thin slivers. The vision enraged him, spurring him into a run. His sight slowly became tinged with red and his lips pulled back in a murderous snarl. If some mindless beast had destroyed his woman and child, his _world_, while he slept he would annihilate the creature, and all its kind. Every last one...

His thoughts of genocide were interrupted when he rounded a corner and tripped over a form crouched over a hole in the floor. "Hey, watch where you're... Seph?"

He rose and turned, staring at a short miner with unruly yellow hair tied back in a rough braid. Her eyes, a familiar and distinctive shade reminiscent of ripe cranberries, met his gaze with utter shock and a fair measure of contrition. Sephiroth glared down at her and tried to decide if he wanted to strangle her or snatch her up and hold her so close that their flesh melded as one. On the one hand he was furious that she had gone off alone. But he was also so relieved she was safe, it was taking every ounce of his willpower to remain standing. "What are you doing?" he finally ground out.

"I'm doing a favor for a fellow mother."

That made him blink. "Elaborate."

Akalara held up a somewhat crushed and lopsided beer case. Nestled inside, amongst the folds of cloth that was the shirt she had been wearing beneath her vest, were three cylindrical eggs. "I killed their mother, so they'll die if I don't keep them."

Sephiroth dismissed Masamune to cross his arms over his chest. "Why were you outside the jeep in the first place?" He desperately wanted to know why she had been killing dragons, but he would get to that in a second.

She shrugged as though it was of no concern. "I heard some kids talking about us and went to see what they were doing here. Turns out they had snuck in here to drink themselves stupid and managed to attract a few monsters. I had to step in and save them."

He felt his eyes start from his head. "You left the jeep, and endangered your life and our baby's, for teenage _gossip?_"

"It wasn't gossip, Seph! It was about us!" she snapped, scrambling to her feet. "I wanted to know what they knew, so I went to eavesdrop on them! If they hadn't been attacked, I would have been sitting in that jeep when you woke up and they might have heard an engine starting up in supposedly-abandoned mines. Don't you think that would have been more dangerous than me disguising myself and kicking ass to save their sorry skins? And before you get started on them recognizing me or some bullshit like that, look at what I'm wearing!" She planted her hands on her hips and matched his brightly-glowing glare with one of her own. "All they know is that some miner saved them from certain death. They don't know you and I are anywhere near these damned mines. Hell, they don't even know we ran off together! They think you and Zack got captured by some nameless menace to society and I was kidnapped by one of your lunatic fan clubs for _daring_ to touch their dream-beau lover boy!"

Sephiroth continued to stare her down, but he felt the corner of his lips twitch.

"And for the record, I'm apparently some great hero now, too. You wanna know why? Because I saved their fucking lives! They would have been flying lizard-bug food - "

"Ark dragon," he interrupted.

"Huh?"

"Those flying lizard-bugs are known as ark dragons," he explained, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Fine. They would have been ark dragon food if I hadn't blasted its ass full of holes! I even kept one of them from fucking dying, Seph! That little bastard's ribs were poking right through his skin, and I healed him up! I'm fine, our baby is fine, you're fine, those idiots are fine, and hopefully these little fuckers will be fine, too!" She nudged the beer case with her foot, careful of the eggs inside. "So don't you fucking yell at me, Sephiroth, 'cause I saved six - count 'em, _six _- lives while you slept the day away!"

As much as he wished to retain his righteous indignation at her disappearance and the foolish risks she had taken, the silver-haired man could not help himself. He looked down at the fuming, disguised woman he had knocked up and fallen in love with, and began to laugh. This only made Akalara madder. "What's so fucking funny?" she growled as he collapsed against the wall, weak with the force of his mirth.

Sephiroth tried to speak, but all that emerged was a hoarse wheeze, a strange and ridiculous sound that amused him to no end, with inevitable results. It had started to taper off again when he opened his teary eyes, just in time to catch sight of her illusionary disguise melting away. The enraged mask of her miner's face hovered just above her real face, creating a sort of weirdly warped ghost between them. When the laughter had degenerated into guffaws, with snorts on the inhale, Akalara's anger morphed into confusion and concern. "Seph?"

He gasped for air and shook his head, closing his eyes to block out the sight of her. If he looked at her right now, he would just lose it all over again. Leaning against the wall, he tried to collect himself.

"Are you quite finished?"

Another chuckle bubbled up, but this time he managed to keep it under control. Opening his eyes, he reached out and pulled her against him before she could voice her dissension of the unexpected embrace. "Oh, how I love you, Akalara. You have no idea how much I love you."

"Fine. I'm a brainless fool who has no idea how much her man adores her. Now would you care to explain why you were busting a gut there?"

"No reason." She would probably get offended if he told her how funny she was when she was angry, and he didn't want to let her go just yet. "I'm simply relieved to find you safe and unharmed. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"Obviously enough to go on a rampage, from the looks of it. I don't think I've ever seen you that mad, Seph, not even when Razor was doing all that shit to us."

"I had thought some monster had dragged you away from me." He lifted her enough for her to wrap her legs about his waist, and pressed a kiss to her head. "The idea that you were hurt, maybe dying - "

She pressed her lips to his, effectively cutting off the rest of his sentence. "Now you know how I felt every time you went out on a mission," she explained softly when they broke apart, leaning her forehead against his. "But I'm fine, and so is our baby. I'm sorry that I scared you, but everything turned out for the best. And we even have some dragon eggs to sell! Isn't that worth something, Seph?"

He smiled and kissed her again. "Ark dragons are the weakest breed of wyrm. You won't get more than a few hundred gil for these eggs, Ak. Still, I salute your efforts."

"Maybe next time I'll put down a bigger mama-dragon," she teased.

"I think you should leave the dragon-slaying to me," he returned, reaching down to pick up the beer case and its delicate cargo. "Along with any other form of heroics."

"If you think I'm going to settle for the 'damsel-in-distress' role, you're crazy," she murmured against his neck.

"Crazy in love," he replied with a smirk, walking in the direction of their abandoned jeep.


	39. On the Road

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea. The trick with the materia is also Amazon's.

**Queen's Quornor:** Figured I'd submit this one. I'm slowly drowning as finals approach, but thanks to writing and a newly-revisted interest in Dynasty Warriors (epic history, absurdly high numbers of K.O.'s, and hot Asian dudes; what more could a gamer geek desire?) I think I'll come out with my mind in one piece. Sephiroth and Zhang He are doing quite a bit in keeping me sane. This is, admittedly, just a filler chapter, but I thought it would be nice to take a peek into Seph's mind rather than Ak's for once. Besides, I wanted to do some setup for future chapters and he always gives me ideas when I write from his POV. Hopefully the next chapter will come from Amazon or Maniac, but I'll post if they can't. I mean, what is Hojo up to, anyway?

On the Road

The mountains were a prime location for travelers in need of shelter from the elements. Caves were in short supply, but there were shallow alcoves and dry overhangs aplenty. Travelers made use of the natural shelters regularly when their vehicles died or they were unable to reach civilization before their eyelids became leaden and their sense of judgement was rendered incapable of keeping them safely on the road. Nobody thought twice about a random campfire springing up somewhere outside town, so long as it was in the mountains.

This knowledge was of little comfort to Sephiroth. He did not want to attract attention, especially with Midgar just beyond the dark peaks. It was too risky for his liking. Thus he drove on, hoping to reach the nearest forest before stopping for the night. The trees would conceal their presence far better than the mountains could.

The ex-general had actually wanted to drive at night, as the darkness provided no hindrance to his mako-enhanced vision, but he knew it was unwise to remain in the mines until the sun set. He and Akalara may have thrown their pursuers off their trail back in Kalm, but it didn't take a genius to figure out where they might have gone. Sooner or later, more of Shinra's fighters would take up the chase and track them through the swamp. There were only two ways out of the mines; the longer they stayed therein, the greater Shinra's chances for blocking their escape. Out here, they at least had a chance to throw the pursuit off while making the transition to nocturnal travel.

He glanced at Akalara, who had fallen asleep in her seat - actually, the only seat left in the jeep, his having been destroyed and thus abandoned - after admonishing him to turn the ark dragon eggs every once in a while. She had wanted to take the wheel after they exited the mines, but her own exhaustion had quickly overwhelmed her. Sephiroth didn't mind; if she was sleeping, he could keep an eye on her, something he apparently could not do when she was awake.

The silver-haired man was still trying to digest the knowledge of her actions in the mines. He thought her incredibly foolish for risking herself and their child in such a manner, yet there was a distinct sort of admiration that stopped him from scolding her. She could have let the kids perish, kept her presence a secret. But she hadn't, and because of her intervention three young lives had been saved.

Sephiroth had saved people from certain death on a number of occasions, so he could appreciate how invigorating it felt to hold the Reaper at bay. Those moments were the heroics in which he took the greatest pride, not the many laurels that made him so adored by the public. The lives he had saved proved his ability to protect, something that was usually forgotten in the wake of his total body-count.

Perhaps that was what most bothered him about Akalara's actions, he mused. She had proven herself capable of protecting others without aid. Sephiroth had long viewed her as the weaker partner in their relationship, dependent on his strength to keep her safe. But now it was clear that his fragile little love could take care of herself.

Where did that leave him?

His shoulders rose and fell in a rueful exhalation. He knew where it left him, and where he belonged: by her side, protecting her so she need not risk herself in the first place. Sephiroth nodded his satisfaction with that knowledge. It was not a sexist belief. Rather, it was a truth he could not deny. Their baby would not survive without its mother. He, the father, was no longer biologically necessary to its continued existence. If no choice was available to them, he was the expendable one.

It was not a welcome thought. Sephiroth wanted nothing more than to live in peace and freedom, with his growing family safe from harm. He had done his duty as a SOLDIER, as a general. By his reckoning, he deserved a quiet retirement in a secluded home filled with children and friends, free to live out his life with the woman of his choosing _without _the ever-present scrutiny of scientists, paparazzi, and lust-crazed fans. Maybe it was a strange dream, but he already had the fame, glory, etc. that so many would-be heroes craved. He wanted the domestic dream they took for granted or even shunned outright.

A quiet snort escaped him. He already had a good start on the family part. It was just that the context was all wrong. Were it not for the nightmare represented by Hojo, he and Akalara would be living his long-time dream.

Hojo... A growl filtered out of his lower chest at the mere thought of the lunatic's name. Sephiroth hated the man, despised him above all others. It was more than the history of their interactions that repulsed him; there was something about Hojo that Sephiroth could almost recognize. That familiarity terrified him to the point that he feared to even consider it, let alone the potential implications of such a thing. He owed the scientist so much pain, yet something had always prevented him from exacting vengeace, something deeper than the wish to avoid a murder charge or anything Hojo might have done to him to force his obedience.

That was why they were running. Killing Hojo would protect his family and friends and allow them the freedom they needed, but if Sephiroth was somehow tried and found guilty for the murder, facts would be brought to light. Facts the silver-haired man didn't want to hear. He didn't want to know what Hojo was to him beyond life-long tormentor. He feared what such knowledge might do to him and the life he had created for himself.

Nobody could accuse Sephiroth of being a coward. In this matter, however, running away was a million times preferable to confronting the truth head-on, whatever that truth might be.

Akalara stirred, distracting him from his deeply unsettling train of thoughts. "Are you still driving, Seph?" she grunted, stretching.

"We're almost to the woods. Once we get there, we'll stop for the night, he explained.

"You've been turning the eggs, right?"

Sephiroth nodded. "I just hope they don't hatch before we sell them. We can't provide for four babies right now."

"They won't." Akalara lifted her pelvis off the seat in an attempt to arch her back. "How long until we reach Junon?"

"A few days. Once we get there, we'll have to get rid of this jeep. We can't take it with us on a fishing boat."

"What about all our stuff? We need the jeep to carry it," the green-haired teen asked, flicking her lengthy bangs away from her eyes.

"I've been thinking about that, and I believe I know how." Sephiroth smiled. "Kandi is a clever woman indeed."

Akalara turned wide cranberry eyes upon him. "You actually got her to tell you how she does that? She always tells me it's a wormhole in her jacket or some sort of sci-fi thing whenever I ask her how she carries all those snacks around."

"She never told me. I simply observed the various materia she carries and came to a logical conclusion without asking her," he said with no small amount of smug satisfaction. "What materia does Kandi typically carry on a daily basis, not including that Heal she has for the weekend hangovers?"

Akalara thought about it for a moment. "Mini," she finally said. "She always has that Mini materia on her. I haven't seen her use it, though."

"But you may have seen the effects of her utilizing it. If my hypothesis is correct, we can easily follow in her footsteps and become human vending machines in our own right." Sephiroth smiled as the trunks of distant trees came into view. "I would rather not do the same to the jeep, though. It can't last much longer."

"So we just destroy it?" Akalara frowned at the dashboard. "Seems kind of wasteful."

"It's not wasteful. This jeep has served its purpose, and will soon be unable to continue its services." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, considering something. "Although, we may want to salvage the mako fuel cells first. I'm sure we can find a way to use them, or sell them if necessary. Mako fuel cells are worth quite a bit on the black market."

"As opposed to these eggs." Akalara reached for the cardboard carton that held the eggs, idly turning them before covering them back up with her discarded shirt. "I've been thinking. Could we get more gil if we sell them to a terrorist group?"

Sephiroth's head whipped around to face her, his peridot eyes wide. "Such as AVALANCHE?" he demanded quietly.

The green-haired teen cringed away from his sudden anger. She'd completely forgotten what AVALANCHE had done, and what it had meant for Sephiroth. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking out loud, Seph." She considered him thoughtfully. "What is your problem with them, anyway? You don't love Shinra or the President, so it couldn't just be that they attacked the company. Why are you so touchy about AVALANCHE?"

He ducked his head a little as he turned back to the wheel, just enough for his bangs to hide his eyes from her. He had never told his friends what Elfe had said to him. "Seph, you know I won't judge you," Akalara murmured, laying her hand atop his on the wheel. "I just want to know if you want to talk about it."

Sephiroth tightened his fingers, staring at the forest with fixed eyes. She just wanted to help him, the only way she could. They both had a habit of bottling up difficult or painful subjects, holding them back until the dam burst and it all came spilling out at once. A sympathetic ear might go a long way towards alleviating the pressure. Besides, secrets could destroy a relationship.

"When AVALANCHE attacked Junon," he began, "I was assigned to protect the President. Their leader, Elfe, fought me. She was not a SOLDIER, yet her strength was equal to mine. Neither of us could defeat the other." He had to admit a certain grudging respect for Elfe. Nobody had ever beaten him, and he still wasn't sure what to think of her matching him. "But what bothers me isn't the fact that I couldn't beat her."

"Then what?" Akalara asked softly, stroking his fingers.

"Elfe asked me what it was I fought for. Was it to protect? To destroy? For an ideal? She, and the rest of AVALANCHE, were willing to give their lives to end mako production. They thought the destruction of all life would save the world from whatever damage Shinra's reactors have caused. Whether they are right or wrong, they were committed to fighting for that belief." Sephiroth sighed heavily. "I had never given my reasons a thought, prior to Junon. The military was my escape from the labs. It was the only other life I'd ever known, so I suppose I fought because I had no other option, or perhaps out of gratitude. But when I faced Elfe, I realized that such was no longer the case. Lazard and the President commanded me, but I commanded SOLDIER, to an extent. I fought because I was told to do so, not for any reason of my own. I began to hate Elfe for making me realize that I didn't have a reason to fight anymore."

"So you hate AVALANCHE because it makes you think of Elfe?"

Sephiroth nodded. "But something has changed, Ak. My association with you and the others has given me a reason." He turned his head to regard her with a smile full of tender affection and determination. "I'll fight to protect the ones I care about." His hand left the wheel and carried hers to her abdomen, splaying their fingers wide above their growing child. "Especially the two of you. My family is my world, and I will do anything to keep it safe."

Akalara blinked hard, but he still caught the liquid sheen of her eyes. Maybe their appearance was only due to the influx of baby hormones, but her tears cemented his resolve to protect her from danger. "We are a family, aren't we?" she sniffed, using her free hand to wipe at her eyes.

"Yes, we are. There is an abundance of aunts and uncles, but we're still a family."

"And soon there'll be a cousin in the extended family."

"Our baby already has a cousin. Remember Uncle Reno and Aunt Christine's daughter?" Sephiroth teased. "There might even be another one if Uncle Reno knocks up Aunt Lily, too."

"I'm surprised he hasn't yet!" Akalara squeezed his fingers and released him to continue driving. "Speaking of which, we need to find Cloud a girlfriend. Of all the people we hang with, he's the only one who's still a virgin."

The comment surprised a laugh out of the silver-haired man. "Are you so certain of his innocence?" he asked coyly. He knew full well that the little blond had yet to experience sex, but he still enjoyed teasing his green-haired love.

"Definitely. Cloud tries to act big and tough, but he's still a kid. I've never seen a man get with a woman and _still _blush at racy conversations." She folded her arms and nodded. "He needs to get laid."

"In case you haven't noticed, nobody's volunteered for the job, Ak. Felisha might, but I think she's too aggressive for him." They blinked as they drove into the forest, the dense foilage blocking out most of the faint moonlight. "Christine doesn't care for blonds, Valerie won't sleep with virgins, Lily has Reno..."

"Kandi thinks he's adorable, but she's with Zack," she continued. "I think Cloud will be hot in a few years, but he's not big enough for me yet. And you know I like 'em big."

"Oh, I've noticed." Sephiroth grinned. Akalara liked big men because it made her feel safe, and nobody was bigger than him. He snickered at his private innuendo and continued driving. "But I think Cloud may solve the issue on his own. He has mentioned a girl back in Nibelheim a few times."

"Probably a blushing little virgin just like him." Akalara considered the information, absently turning the eggs in her lap again. "Maybe that's better for him. It might make him take the lead for once, while an experienced woman could intimidate him. Poor kid might get too scared to get it up. Then he'd be scarred for life and never lose his virginity. Yes, a fellow virgin is the best thing for Cloud."

Sephiroth shook his head, still grinning. How had their conversation gone from selling the eggs to Cloud's virginity? "Well, a traumatized Cloud is the last thing we want. Unless Kandi molests him while Zack is recovering, I'm sure he'll wait for that girl."

"I just hope she's a looker. If she isn't, I hope he hasn't been spoiled by all the babes he's been around lately." She put the beer case between her feet, careful to cover the eggs again.

"I'm sure he'll be just fine." Sephiroth turned off the road, heading deeper into the brush in search of a suitable campsite. All this talk about losing virginity was starting to get to him. The last time he had made love to his girlfriend was back in Midgar.

Akalara grunted. "Any idea what this girl's name is?"

He nodded. "Her name is Tifa, and I strongly suspect that she is the same Tifa I had hired as a guide up to the reactor in the Nibel mountains. Had I gone on that mission, I would have seen the girl Cloud has such a crush on firsthand."

"Well, I'm glad I was able to make an impression on you before she could." Akalara smiled, playing with her green hair. "I don't want to lose you to some backwater babe."

"Trust me, Ak. If I can help it, you won't lose me for a good long time." A lifetime wouldn't be enough, he reflected. He had waited for a woman like her for most of his life, and now that he had found her, he was never letting her go.

"That's good. I can't see you as a country hick or a mountain hillbilly, Seph. Straw hats, sagging overalls, and plaid flannel just wouldn't suit you."

Sephiroth laughed outright. "Especially not if there is a banjo involved."

"Think Cloud knows how to play the banjo?" Akalara asked with her customary mischevious smirk.

"If he does, I am grateful he has kept the talent a secret." Satisfied of their distance from the road, the silver-haired man switched off the jeep. "Care to help me pitch the tent?"

She nodded as she pushed her door open. "No fire, I take it?"

"Too risky." He went around to the back and began sifting around for the tent. "We can get by with body heat, and these are thermal sleeping bags. We should be fine."

Akalara grabbed the bag of pegs and followed him to a small clearing between three sturdy elms. They wouldn't need much space for this tent; it was a rather compact model that loosely claimed to fit two people. Sephiroth had some acquaintance with this model, and more often than not the two men sharing a tent such as this would wind up practically laying atop each other in the effort to sleep comfortably. For once, he anticipated the forced intimacy with something other than the usual dread.

Akalara took in the size of the canvas with an arched brow. "Don't tell me this is what passes for luxury in the army."

"This is standard equipment for overnight field assignments. It is not uncommon for two men to be stuffed into one of these. You would not believe some of the complaints I've heard about them." Most of the outcries had come from SOLDIERs afraid of being labelled "gay" after sharing such close quarters with another man, alone. The women rarely complained, unless there was some animosity already present between the pair. Sephiroth didn't care what conclusions were drawn about his masculinity, so long as he didn't hear about it. He merely disliked the awkwardness of sharing a tent with a genuine homophobe, as they tended to spend every moment of the night concentrating on not touching him.

No such problem with Akalara, however. "You and your ulterior motives," she snickered. "I swear, you are a total horndog, Seph."

He chuckled lowly and continued unfolding the poles. He hadn't always been such a ladies' man. Back when he had first joined SOLDIER, he hated being touched, held himself aloof from the other recruits with the icy demeanor that had kept him relatively safe in the labs. Thanks to Tareyna, he had learned that "touch" didn't automatically mean "hurt," and losing her had prompted him to seek female companionship to fill the void she had left behind. It was only recently, with the meeting of a green-haired dancer at a topless bar and her insertion into his daily life, that he had begun to feel complete once more. Something about Akalara had attracted him from the very beginning, and making love with her gave him the greatest sense of peace imaginable. With her, there was no guilt or shame, no drive to conquer, boast, and move on. It was an addiction without end, and Sephiroth would gladly lose himself in her until the day he died. He wasn't a horndog; he was an addict, hopelessly clinging to the peace offered by her embrace.

"You enjoy it and you know it you do." He began setting up the poles. "Do you want to fix dinner while I finish the tent?"

"Sure. What would you prefer?" she asked, brushing off her knees as she stood.

"Ravioli is fine." Sephiroth locked another pole into place. He regretted that Akalara couldn't cook much beyond preparing MREs and opening cans on their flight, but he could get by. The green-haired teen had displayed a surprising talent for cooking in their time together, which had led to further time spent in the weight room. They had made a lot of sacrifices to keep themselves safe, and her tasty creations were among the few Sephiroth genuinely lamented.

He straightened and lifted his head at the distant roll of thunder. His lips twitched. Shinra infantry was notorious for their refusal to work in the rain, and most of Scarlet's mechanical monsters were not waterproof. With a little luck, perhaps the two of them could indulge a little after all...

* * *

Rain pattered against the canvas, beating the tent like a drum. The natural percussion failed the disrupt the duet performed within, no matter how furious the tempo grew. The soaring opera was the show, not the accompaniment.

Akalara certainly fit the part of a soprano right now. Sephiroth liked making her scream when they were together, finding her cries far more satisfying to his ego than fawning adoration and coveted honors pinned to his dress uniform. She was his woman, and he enjoyed hearing the sounds that told everybody what he could do to her. A rub of his fingers, a lap of his tongue, and she could sing whatever he wanted to hear.

The size of the tent made their usual positions a bit difficult to fully enjoy, but neither was willing to complain about such trivialities. It gave them a chance to experiment a little. Sephiroth hitched her leg higher around his waist and slanted his mouth across hers again, rolling his hips against hers with a slick rhythm. Akalara held tight to him, her nails pricking his shoulder and back, meeting his thrusts with her own smaller ones. He molded their bodies together, buried his hand in her damp hair to deepen the kiss. His young love whimpered and gripped him hard, forced into another climax by his underbelly mercilessly grinding against her swollen clit with each stroke. He abandoned her lips to allow her cries freedom, dragging his tongue along the liquid salt beading on her neck. The tent rang with her gasp when he sped up.

"Seph, I can't," she groaned into his ear. He ignored her and continued to slam into her shaking body, careful to press her clit hard with every thrust. She was more than used to his sexual stamina, but at times he forgot that she did not enjoy the same mako-enhanced endurance. Akalara had lost consciousness during sex before. "Seph!"

"One more," he breathed. "You can give me one more, Ak. We both need it." He slipped one hand between them and rested his thumb against the tip of her clit, circling it furiously as his hips pressed the busy digit into her flesh. The two-fold pressure sent a charge up her spine and she screamed against his throat, every muscle flexed and holding while she mentally shorted out. He growled deep in his chest, answering her silken convulsions with mindless thrusts until the tension abruptly released in a rush of heat.

His head hit the pillow a moment later, the strength of the orgasm leaving him too weak to hold it up. He watched his love find her way back from temporary insanity, folding her close against his chest so she knew she was safe and loved. "See? I knew you could do it," he panted with a satisfied grin.

Equally devoid of strength, she smacked his back the moment his words registered. "You're going to kill me someday, Seph," she heaved. "Or drive me out of my mind."

"I can bring you back," he replied, continuing to hold her. "Then I can tease you with another Phoenix Down and take you again."

Akalara somehow found the breath for a helpless laugh. "You crazy man. You really would do that, wouldn't you?"

He kissed her again before snugging her head beneath his chin. "You would do the same if our positions were reversed."

"That'll never happen. I can never outlast you. I can't even do it when I've got you chained down and begging."

Sephiroth smiled. He had once spent half a night bound to her bed, gagged and blindfolded, because Akalara had fallen asleep before untying the ropes. "We need to fix that. I refuse to be the only parent available for nocturnal changing and feeding after our baby is born."

"I'm going to be the only one doing the feeding anyway, which renders your complaint moot." She yawned and pulled the sleeping bag over her shoulder. "Don't blame me if you put me to sleep. You can just grab the baby and lay it on my chest if it's hungry."

The silver-haired man smiled and held his tongue. Akalara quickly drifted off, leaving him awake with his thoughts and the pounding rain.

It was true that, by the time he was finished with her, his green-haired love was often too exhausted to even consider getting out of bed. Chances were good that he would be the only one aware enough to tend to their child when it required their attention late at night. As distasteful as the prospect was, the other was even less appealing; Sephiroth knew he would not be able to abstain any longer than it took for her to heal, once the baby was born. What was he supposed to do when it was hungry and Akalara was asleep?

He had already looked into natural refrigeration as a way of preserving any animals he might kill once they reached the Forgotten City, and the websites he had perused also contained sections on dairy products. Conceivably Akalara could use a breast pump and sink plastic bottles full of her milk in icy water, but Sephiroth wasn't sure if he trusted such a method. The last thing he wanted was for their child to experience food poisoning, particularly so early in its life.

That left him with two options: Akalara's suggestion, or...

The silver-haired man had come across a strange rumor during his recent immersion in the field of midwifery. A scientist unaffiliated with Shinra had insisted that men could train their bodies to produce milk just like a woman's, since men also possessed mammary glands. The phenomenon had already been noted in men undergoing certain hormonal treatments or antipsychotic drugs, and Sephiroth himself had seen male recruits start leaking due to the intense stress of SOLDIER training. But this scientist claimed that regular stimulation of the nipples could result in lactation for the average man. The website on which Sephiroth had stumbled upon the subject also contained a forum section, and he had perused several posts from women eager to know if this meant their husbands/boyfriends could also breastfeed.

He buried his face in Akalara's hair with a heavy sigh. Perhaps it was possible, as absurd as it sounded. If anybody would know, Zack likely would soon, if he didn't already. But his friend's impossible pregnancy would mean he would produce milk anyway, so Sephiroth could not use that as proof.

He rolled his eyes at himself. Thinking of Zack's situation only distracted him from the original reason he started down this line of thought. Could it be that he, the great General Sephiroth, might shoulder some of his love's burden and do more than merely lay their hungry baby on her chest when she was too exhausted to get up and feed it herself? Could he trick his body into producing breastmilk?

Part of him recoiled from the idea, appalled that he would even consider such a thing. But another found it oddly enticing. Tradition stated that his role in child-rearing consisted first of providing sperm, food, discipline, and shelter, and aiding Akalara in such activities as changing diapers only when absolutely necessary. According to that clear division of roles, the baby would be far more attached to its mother since she would share a greater intimacy with it; she would provide milk, touch, and care during the critical years when its brain was forming lifelong associations. As its father, Sephiroth could only display his love by holding the baby and talking to it. Breastfeeding was often cited as one of the greatest opportunities for early bonding, and fathers were denied it.

But if he were to induce lactation in his own body...

Sephiroth thought it over for a long while, until the rhythmic beating of the rain lulled him to sleep.


	40. Shinra Files: Wheeling and Dealing

**Summary: **A single event can change the course of the future. If a single revelation have been given to Sephiroth before Nibelheim, what would have happened? AU of my own mostly-canon timeline. OCs, rated for lemons, mpreg. Ties in with past fics and oneshots.

**Disclaimer: **Akalara is mine, Kandi is Amazon's, Lily is Mystic's, canon characters are SE's... You get the basic idea.

**Queen's Quornor:** It's been a long time and I've been unfair to Maniac by keeping this back so long (forgive me, I hope?), but it's been a hectic few months for me. Between my final finals, final final projects, graduation, and searching for a job there hasn't really been a heck of a lot of time for fics. Yes, I have managed to work in "Too Much Information" and "Heaven's Reluctant Messenger," but those were stories I already had written in notebooks done during lectures, at least to the point at which they are currently stalled. I really want to update this fic, especially because I already have some of the future installments written and ready to go, and I hope I haven't lost my remaining compatriot/cowriter by taking so long to post his most recent chapter. Yes, remaining. Due to the increase of her family, Amazon has bowed out for the time being and left Cloud, Kandi, and Zack to me. Obviously, I won't hurt them too badly.

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**Blah blah blah, new update. Blah blah blah my schedule sucks.**

**Blah.**

Shinra Files: Wheeling and Dealing

It had been a long time since Two-Guns had been in Wall Market for anything. The Turk salary was large enough that all of the shopping could be done above the Plate, so unless there was an assignment there, no Turk would ever go down into the slums for any other reason than the Honeybee Inn. Still, it had been his hunting ground once and he couldn't help but shake the feeling of nostalgia that arose when he entered an old hangout of his: The Yellow Flag.

"Hey! Two-Guns! Haven't seen you 'round here for a while. Heard you went big time up on the Plate and joined the suit squad," said the old barkeep, Ivan. His accent was fairly difficult to place but if Two-Guns had to guess his best bet would probably be from the Northern continent. He was working here as a bartender almost fifteen years ago when the Turk was starting working for Don Corneo as a mook. He was always good for information and getting people together. It's said that these sort of people secretly run the underworld. It's a lie of course - there's nothing secret about knowledge being power, and they have more knowledge than anyone else. Mob bosses may come and go but odds on if a bartender's stayed for over five years, he'll outlast everyone else.

"Yeah. Pays good, but I have to walk for half an hour if I want to find a decent whore," Two-Guns joked. It was only about a year and a bit since he left the slums; the new lot of people might have forgotten who he was, or have never known outside of the suit and tie, and here he was, falling straight back into old habits.

"What about secretaries? Ain't that their job?"

"Long story, involves a bisexual rapist who once got it on with a chocobo, and now every female secretary on one floor are either wearing skirts so long that you can barely see the 6 inch heels and every male one has a bottle of lube on standby just in case. That's my floor," he said, not really wanting to go into all the rumors surrounding the _adventures_ of one particular executive.

"Tough luck man. So what'll it be?"

"Information."

"Just coming down here on business?" Ivan asked.

"Always has to come before pleasure, otherwise I'd be at the Honeybee, but I need a personal job taken care of and I don't want to put my neck out for it. I need the best rats, bats, pitbulls, hellhounds, whatever. I need this place to meet up with them to discuss a little business in a couple of hours, and I need you to not only get them, but find out just who the fuck I'm messing with. It's been a long time since I've been down here. I don't remember anyone's names so I'll need you to re-introduce me."

"Holy… shit. Son, that's a lot to ask."

"The company will be footing the bill so don't worry 'bout that. Just get them here in a few hours."

_How the hell did I get in this mess? _he thought to himself as he exited the bar, leaving Ivan to dig up some contacts.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"_I'm telling you I can make this shot," Two-Guns insisted, angling his body for the ideal shot._

"_And I'm telling you it's impossible, even my little sister could tell you that," the Turk known as Gun shot back. She was a fairly tall blonde-haired woman in standard Turk-issue suit with the difference that her suit was nearly spotless, while Two-Guns still hadn't gotten the chocolate stains out._

"_I can do it… I just need faith in myself," he insisted._

"_Faith helps for exams and battlefield situations; faith will not help you hit a golf ball from here at just the right trajectory, velocity, and time for it to hit senior Turk Reno Sinclair in the balls!"_

"_Please. If I miss his balls, I'm gonna at least get him in the gut. Teach him for locking me in the closet with you for an hour."_

"_I could have concentrated on picking the lock if you weren't whining or trying to squeeze past me so you could shoot it off with a 9mm semi-automatic."_

"_Who cares? The point is he locked us in and I don't take well to hazing."_

"_Couldn't you do something simpler, like spike his drink with Viagra?"_

"_Why the hell would I have Viagra on me?" he asked, looking up, utterly confused._

"_Where the hell did you buy the golf clubs?"_

"_You know, I was walking around Sector 8 and I saw this beautiful pair of clubs. Now I'm not much of a golfer, but walking around the scenery taking aggression out on a small round object sounds great for a time killer sometime so I…" He stopped, looking at an expression of terror on his fellow Turk's face. Dropping the club, he signed 'what's wrong'._

"_Ahem," came a voice that pretty much answered his question._

"_Sir! Tseng, I mean, sir! What brings you over here?" he asked, with his voice stuttering slightly._

"_You have a new assignment. Follow me for debriefing," he ordered._

"_Hey wasn't that…" he asked after passing by the head Turk's office._

"_Venat's office? Yes. You are, so to speak, moving up in the world," he said as he brought him out of the Turk offices and into their Superior's office._

"_Heidegger, this is the man I was referring to earlier."_

"_Ah, brilliant. Bang up job, Tseng," the executive said, not even bothering to look up from pouring a new glass of whiskey._

"_Sir, the debriefing," Tseng reminded him._

"_Oh, right, how silly of me. I need you to be the Turk in charge of a personnel retrieval mission. Due to its nature you will have the ability to deploy several SOLDIER troops of varying classes should you meet with sufficient resistance that the brute force option is well forced."_

"_I believe you mean 'forced to use direct force', sir."_

"_Really? Well the young lad gets the picture, which is the important thing. Should the need arise contact me, Tseng, or Reeve, who's got SOLDIER added to his budget for the time being until we can replace Sephiroth in the administrative sense."_

"_Sounds great, sir. Who's the target?"_

"_Four targets, to be precise. It's preferable that all four are obtained and with the minimum of damage sustained to any of them, especially in the two cases marked with an X in this envelope here. They are unlikely to offer much physical resistance themselves despite what the profiles will say about past training, but are closely guarded by people who will."_

"_What, are they knocked up?"_

"_One of them probably is, the other case: no goddamned clue what the hell is with him. Want more details, ask Hojo."_

_His expression dropped from confusion to fear when he looked at the first profile. One name said it all: Sephiroth. _

_"Oh, _hell _no."_

_\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\_

"So is this the big group I asked you to get?" There weren't many people in the bar this time, just three people huddled around a table playing cards, two men and one woman.

"It may not look like much, but quality over quantity has always been my rule when hiring these types. I just hope you got a big budget for whatever you got planned. These people have an attention span measured in seconds per 10k gil."

"Good. I got them for a while, then. Want to tell me what you know about these three? They'll take one look at the suit and know who I am; I want to be able to do the same."

"Well there's the girl for one, red Wutain dress thing on, slit at the sides and leaving that cleavage window?"

"Yeah? She's hot."

"Don't say that in front of her unless you got chocolates or flowers. She's a knife expert, probably fit right in with the suits but she feels it's dishonourable or some shit for her to work directly for ShinRa as in a regular paycheck, but a one-off thing should be okay. Throwing knives, shurikens, daggers, punching daggers, wrist blades, stilettos both knives and footwear and her main weapon of choice is a kukris, all concealed in that dress of hers." Two-Guns stopped to look for a while, trying to think of all the places she could be hiding weapons in that tight dress. Straps around her thighs were slightly concealed, but that only accounted for a small proportion if the barkeep was to be believed. "Her name's Mia, in case you were wondering," he added once he noticed the Turk's eyes slowly drifting towards her breasts.

"Now you see the guy to the left of her? Sweet hat and long coat, dressed to kill? The guy's called 'the Blood Red Wizard'. I don't know his real name. He's a show-off, always looks for a dramatic entrance and its gotten him shot more times than I have fingers, but he's not a complete idiot: he's always got the right armor for the job. If it wasn't for his showboating he'd be ruling under the Plate, and you people would be trying to crack him down. Crack shot with an assault rifle, sub-machine guns, and carries a sawed-off shotgun and tranquilizer pistol wherever he goes so when he finishes his little speech thing, he can out-gun half the Suits, assuming they let him finish his speeches," he continued, pointing at the second guy. What was it with them and the color red? He didn't like red too much, too many connotations with co-workers.

"Half the Turks don't use firearms anyway, but point taken."

"Actually quite a funny story surrounding him, but it's a bit long-winded. The third guy? Small black jacket and a goatee? Ex-AVALANCHE saboteur and infiltrator. Lost touch with the rest of the cult mentality and decided to quit and dish some dirt back to the company, only the place he was supposed to go to was blown to shit about a week before he made his turn."

"Whoa, wait a minute, the Junon Turk base before we all got pulled to Midgar? It got destroyed as part of the attack on Junon - if he's ex-AVALANCHE he would have known about that, so why didn't he head to Shinra HQ instead of slumming it here?" Two-Guns asked, looking at the infiltrator. He looked familiar somehow...

"He was the one who blew it up, change of heart afterwords, but the problem was most of the people above knows he did it. Even with a disguise, a scanner here or a leading question here, and he's on death row. So you could probably get a discount off-a him. Or you get your face blown off and he heads someplace else."

_Well that explains why he looked so familliar_, the Turk thought. _He's on the wanted list outside the boss' office._ "Thanks old timer, there'll be a couple of grand later for you to help… rebuild the slums."

"You're welcome."

"Gentlemen, and lady, I have a proposition for you."

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The buzzing of computers provided an abstract background for the sound of metal on metal as a tall man with dirty brown hair under a camoflauge print bandana, a long-sleeve casual shirt covered across the torso with leather armour with a mythril edge, walked down a set of stairs in a darkened corridor somewhere under the Junon weapons shop.

"Codename ADAM, here to see SNAKE and EVE," he rasped into a speaker as the door opened before him, leading him into a roomed filled with computers. Glowing blue and green screens provided the only illumination as its one occupant turned around in shock.

"Why the hell are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Midgar?" she asked.

"Plans change. How is she?" the man asked.

"Stable," was the one-word reply.

"Dead is about as stable as you can fucking get, Jessie," the man cursed as Jessie stood back into the light, her normal armor replaced by a set of hospital scrubs.

"Well she's still alive, and I can't believe she'll want to see your face if she wakes up," she shot back.

"Don't fucking say 'if'', you know she's gonna wake up, we both do."

"You're the one who knocked her out! And whatever was wrong with her wasn't exactly helped by doing whatever you did, Shears."

"I did what I had to do! Better then letting that madman take what we've worked so hard for. I've given everything for this fucking rock, Jessie; no man, woman, or freak of nature is gonna take this from me."

"I still haven't told them, if that's what you're wondering."

"I wasn't."

"If he finds out about us we're sunk."

"Like that ship would have been."

"We're tired of being your personal watchdog, Shears. Shinra has to pay sooner or later and I can't keep up this masquerade alone. Besides, it was used to field-test a device that you wanted working."

"So does it?"

"Of course it does! I made it myself; it's worked every time, although don't try it with an Exit materia… that still has a few bugs left in it," she mumbled towards the end. Biggs was still in a bad mood about that.

"Do we have a spare?"

"It's with Biggs at the moment. Why?"

"Because if this works, she's coming back and they'll be nothing Shinra can do to stop us. That glasses freak has pissed on our name for too long. He never really cared about AVALANCHE, never about her, not in the way I do."

"Shears?"

"Jessie, you know where my loyalties lie. If anyone tries to convince you that they're somewhere else, especially if they're with Shinra or the Turks even if one of them is well... you know."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Jessie asked as Shears turned to head back out.

"Because thanks to you I can finally show the world just where I stand."

Within half a minute he was gone. She was back in her secret, the one she even kept from Biggs and Wedge, or Tifa. Tifa... _FUCK!_ she screamed mentally. She had forgotten to tell her something already, and it was the one thing that would definately keep her in.

Cloud Strife had been stricken from the cadet records and now, in the minds of the average Shinra MP or SOLDIER, he was just another idiot who thought he could run from the company.

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"No deal, I no work for suits," the Wutian women told the Turk. Her Midgarian was heavily broken. It was somewhat amusing and he hoped that she spoke Wutain better, otherwise he would seriously have to consider if she was touched in the head.

"She's got a point; we start getting chummy with Turks, we'll have problems getting work anywhere else in case they think we're gonna rat them out to the corps," the man with the goatee agreed.

"This is a one-off job. Shinra doesn't even know I'm down here and probably doesn't want me to be, so forget that they're even in this loop. I'm not looking to fuck up whatever status quo you people have worked up; I'm looking for a job done," the Turk explained. Shot down and he hadn't even begun to explain what it was he wanted them to do.

"Well it may help if you tell us what the job is first," the man who called himself the Blood Red Wizard suggested.

"It's a simple kidnapping operation, four targets going in what I would assume to be two different groups in different directions. Because you people don't want to deal with the rest of the suits and to be honest, neither do I with this thing, the drop off point will be in a trainyard. I can guarantee privacy there for about a few hours and do the rest myself."

"I highly doubt it will be that simple. If it was you wouldn't be here," the goateed man told him. _You can tell he's an ex-terrorist. Guy's paranoid._

"So what's your point?"

"Who exactly are the targets?" he asked.

"A secretarty, a former stripper and..." Two-Guns made a quick intake of breath. "ZackFairandSephiroth," he said in less than half a second so it came out as one big blur of sound.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who were those last two?"

"Former First Class Soldiers Zack Fair and... Sephiroth." The reaction from the ex-AVALANCHE guy was predictable enough, shock and fear, even the Wizard showed signs of it, but he kept it more hidden. Mia however did quite the opposite; her mouth moved into what was technically a smile but reminded him more of a shark's mouth.

"You have my interest now, Mister Suit. I suggest you keep it there with money," she told him.

"Wait, you're seriously going to go after Sephiroth of all people? Even if he is just one of four targets, that's suicide, as is trying to take down any of his friends or anyone he could have known for long enough to justify shoving that totally compensating for something sword up your ass so hard the tip will come out your mouth," the ex-terrorist asked, in a tone indicating that he was questioning her sanity.

"He have it coming, deserve big knife in neck for what he did in Wutai. Or he get worse, but all I have is knives, so that do."

"Cultural grudge aside there's got to be something huge in it for us," the Wizard said, changing the subject to something much more important than any sign of vengeance, in his opinion.

"Glad you asked that," Two-Guns said, pulling up a briefcase onto the table. Clicking the locks open on the case he revealed nine glowing blue orbs.

"Materia? You pay us in materia? You cheapskate."

"Ah, that's where you're wrong, Mia. This isn't just any materia here: for one thing it's mastered, so it'll be very usuful if you ever need to use magic in conjunction with it, but the most important part of these things is the value. Basic value of this to any vendor? 1.2 million a stone. That means that this case here contains 10.8 million gil, at the minimum, possibly more on the black market due to how much of a pain in the ass these things are to get to the master level."

"So, 10.8 million between the survivors should we succeed in this near-impossible task."

"Nah, see this is just a little deposit for you if you choose to accept here and now. You each get three materia for signing on, and you get seven if you return once the job is over, no need to fight between yourselves to see who gets more. There's thirty of these babies to give away, but it's ten per customer."

"A chance to perform on such an important stage should not be turned down. I'm in," the Wizard said, grasping an All materia for himself to inspect it closer.

"As long as you look other way if certain scum get in my way to capture, then I join."

"Done, and as for you..." Two-guns prompted, turning to the ex-AVALANCHE member

"Call me Crow," Crow told him.

"So Crow, do we have a deal?"

"Lot of money, this goes well even I could live in the clear... Never have to take another underground job again... Fine, you got me, Turk. I'm in as well," he agreed, shaking Two-guns' hand.

"Pleasure doing buisness with you."

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**Right, that's that done with. I think I'm pretty much done for now creating more and more elements to cure my agonizing writers block. Now I must return to my crossovers! Black Lagoon, Metal Gear, Ghostbusters and Bleach need to be returned to.**


End file.
